Teacher's Pet
by LiveLoveLikeMe
Summary: AU: Maura attends a new school halfway through her senior year, and the others are less than receptive of her. What happens when she meets her beautiful new gym teacher? Will the year suddenly begin to look a little brighter to the young genius?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: So, I absolutely love Rizzles fics involving a teacher student relationship. In all the ones I have read, however, Maura is always the teacher. It makes sense, but I wondered what it would be like the other way around, if Jane was the teacher and Maura the student. Now, I'm not the best at updates, but if you stick with me I'll try and make this something interesting.

This is more of an introduction chapter, but more Rizzles to come.

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><p>Maura Isles walked apprehensively through the crowded hallway in a desperate attempt to reach her last class. It was her first day attending Boston High, having been forced to leave her precious French boarding school halfway through the year. Maura wasn't exactly excited about the transition, but her parents had assured her she'd love public school. So far, things couldn't have been further from the truth.<p>

At first, people seemed as though they'd be friendly enough. A few girls had come up to her in first block Chemistry and tried to strike conversation. Maura wasn't used to people talking to her so easily, having been quite the outcast back at her boarding school. It was because of this that Maura had resorted to her typical fallback—spouting random facts. It had only taken a few moments for the girls to flip on Maura and get the whole class to laugh at her, sprouting the newest nickname, "Maura the Bora."

Things only got worse when Maura, far beyond the rest of her class intellectually, had raised her hand with almost every correct answer in English class. She could tell people were beginning to grow annoyed with her, but she often felt as though her brain was compulsory. There was nothing that could be done when a fact wanted to get out.

Maura knew she was smart, but she didn't exactly want to flaunt it. However, having already taken these classes or done the reading for them on her own, Maura was having a difficult time not answering.

Trying to push her way through the crowded hallway while remembering the path she had mapped out ahead of time, Maura felt as though everything was closing in on her. There was only one class left of the day, but it was not one she was looking forward to.

No, this class she couldn't impress the teacher in with her extensive knowledge or study her way out of. This was one class Maura had always managed to avoid—until now. This was gym class.

Maura sighed as she reached the locker room. The principle had taken her around the day before, assigning her a locker and explaining the required uniform. She had tried her best to talk her way out of the class, but the principle only seemed interested in her high academic records. Everything else she said just went in one ear and out the other. She was no more than a high score to him.

She walked down the steps to the locker room where most of the other girls had already arrived and begun changing. No one spoke to Maura as she tentatively approached her locker, but a few girls gave her a strange look. She tried to smile at them, but that just earned her a laugh.

She looked around and realized, somewhat nervously, that she would have to change in front of the other girls. After what happened at her last school, she'd have much rather avoided any such situation. Still, she didn't exactly want to be late to a class on her first day.

Maura turned away and pulled her sweater down as long as it would stretch before removing her pants and quickly replacing them with a pair of mandatory gym shorts. This was followed by the standard white t-shirt.

In her attempt to keep as covered as possible, Maura had taken a bit longer than intended. Looking around, she realized she was the only girl left in the locker room. Quickly pulling her honey blonde locks up into a ponytail, Maura headed up the stairs into the gym.

Looking around, it wasn't all that great. There were two lines of students, one all girls and one all guys, each with a different teacher. The teacher for the guys was a large, burly man that intimidated Maura immediately. She suddenly felt quite thankful to be a girl, especially when she saw her teacher.

The woman walking down the line of girls to take role had wild black hair, pulled up away from her face with prominent cheek bones. She wore a pair of tight athletic pants and a loose t-shirt that still managed to accentuate her in all the right places without the obvious effort some may have put into it. She was tall and lanky, yet muscular just enough to look naturally attractive. Maura was left feeling suddenly quite light headed.

"Isles? Where's Maura Isles?" the strong woman said, looking down the line of her students for the missing student she could have sworn was joining her class.

Maura realized after a delayed second that she had stopped walking and her name was being called. Hoping no one noticed, but knowing they probably all did, Maura quickened her pace until she was next to the raven haired teacher.

"I- I'm right here," Maura squeaked out. She groaned inwardly, chastening herself for acting so nervous in front of the beautiful woman. Wait, beautiful? _'Not again, Maura,' _she thought to herself. "Sorry I was late."

"It's your first day, so I'll allow it. Just… please be timelier in the future," the teacher said, not wanting to be too hard on the girl's first day. It had to be hard enough to come to a new school at the middle of your senior year.

"Thank you," Maura said, looking to the line and wondering where she should fit into it.

"I'm Ms. Rizzoli, by the way," she said in her naturally husky voice. "We were just about to begin our volleyball section of the year, so you've joined at the right time."

Maura felt herself go on the verge of a panic attack. Volleyball? That couldn't be a good idea. It's not that Maura wasn't athletic—she had been taking tennis, yoga, and ballet for years—but she wasn't much of a team sport person. People rarely took the time to pass things to her, and when they did she typically ended up screwing something up. No, gym would most definitely not be Maura's subject.

"Okay," she said apprehensively.

Jane just smiled at her and turned back to the line of girls, leaving Maura still awkwardly standing off to the side while the teacher announced the pre-assigned teams. Maura wanted to flee the room when she realized the same girls who had laughed at her earlier were now her teammates.

"Hello," Maura said as she approached them, trying to keep any talking to a minimum so she wouldn't 'bore' them anymore. It didn't really work.

They hardly acknowledged her, just told her where to stand as they took positions behind the net. Maura had never played volleyball before, but it couldn't be that hard, right? She had seen it in an educational documentary on athletic muscle structures before.

The girl behind her had the ball, intended to serve it over the net to the other team. Jane blew a whistle for the two teams to start, but suddenly Maura felt a large object smack her in the back of the head. Slightly disoriented from it, Maura turned around to see a girl named Paige looking at her with a feign innocent expression.

"Oops, I guess I need to work on my serve," Paige laughed, walking over to pick up the volleyball from by Maura's feet. Using deductive reasoning, Maura figured the force that had it her was the girl's horribly served volleyball.

Being too naïve to realize the other girl had clearly hit her on purpose, Maura allowed her big brain to do the talking. "You should put your weight on your back foot and lean slightly forward," Maura stated, recalling the proper stance from the documentary.

"Excuse me?" Paige asked incredulously, not believing this girl was still doing it.

Jane, finding now a good time to intervene, came up beside Maura. She gave Paige a 'shut it' look and turned to the new blonde girl. "You play volleyball, Maura?" Jane asked, impressed at the girl's advice, however ill-received.

"Oh, no. I've never played before," Maura said, confused as the why anyone would think otherwise.

"Really?" Jane asked, surprised the girl knew so much if she hadn't ever played.

"Yes. We didn't have athletic activities such as this at my old school. The board members felt our time was much better spent riding and fencing to improve coordination and mental stamina."

"Right well, just do your best then," Jane said awkwardly, not really sure what else to say to the young girl. Well actually, she wasn't all that much younger than herself. This was only Jane's first year of teaching, fresh out of college.

The rest of class crawled by excruciatingly slow, and Maura wondered how she would make it through this class for the rest of the semester. The girls didn't lighten up on their treatment of Maura, still causing her to feel hurt and humiliated a number of times more before the whistle sounded once again.

"Okay, good work girls. You can go hit the showers now," Jane announced, oblivious to the way the girls had been treating Maura.

Maura trudged off to the locker room behind the rest of the girls. While this class would surely not be very beneficial or fun, there was still her lovely teacher she could see each day.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: I don't even know what to say. You all are simply amazing! I can't believe the kind reception I recieved for this story already, and it's barely even started. I hardly ever update this quickly, but I'm just so touched by you all that I couldn't resist. Hope you enjoy =]

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><p>Maura turned the slippery knob in the tiny shower stall to the left, shutting the water off. She was used to showering at school; after all she had lived at one for many years, so nothing seemed out of the ordinary yet. Maura had even managed to get in without hearing any rude comments of teasing jokes from any of the other girls.<p>

With a smile that her first day was finally coming to an end, Maura reached her hand between the wall and the curtain to grab her towel off the hook. Unfortunately, all she felt between her fingers was air. Slightly disgusted by the grime-covered curtain, Maura carefully pushed it just far enough to the side to pop her head out.

Where her towel once resided on the hook nothing now remained. Someone had to have taken her towel, for Maura was absolutely positive she had left it there. That wasn't something she would easily forget about.

"Excuse me?" Maura called to a girl who was walking by. The girl looked in her direction, clearly annoyed that the dorky new girl was speaking to her.

"Uhm, do you by chance see a towel around here? It must have fallen, since I can't seem to locate mine." Her voice was tiny and clearly showed how nervous she was after just having to talk to one of her peers.

The girl said nothing, just rolled her eyes and walked away, ignoring Maura's current situation. She acted as though Maura wasn't worth her time, and in her mind that was probably the case. However, this girl's attitude certainly did not help Maura out of her current sticky situation.

She craned her neck to look around, verifying the fact that, indeed, her towel was gone. Maura didn't want to think badly of anyone, or assume, but it seemed the only possibility was that someone had taken her towel. What Maura couldn't understand was why. She got why they teased her and called her names, or why they walked away from her when she began to ramble, but to leave her in the shower with nothing to cover herself with just didn't make sense to the innocent mind of the young Isles girl. The thought that someone was actually cruel enough to want to purely embarrass her never even crossed her mind.

"Excuse me? Is anyone there?" she tried again. This time Maura wasn't ignored. This time she wished she had been. Around the corner came Paige and some of the other girls that were apparently her posse. They were laughing at Maura, who finally began to realize just how cruel people could be.

"What's wrong, Maura? Lose something?" Paige taunted, pulling the towel out from behind her back. Maura gasped when she saw it, fear bursting through her veins.

"C-could I please have that?" Maura asked politely yet nervously. She didn't want to cause any trouble, but surely the girls would be finished with their game so she could get back to avoiding them.

"Oh, of course, Maura," Paige said with feign-sweetness. Maura, not being one to read people very easily, took the answer a little too seriously.

"Thank you," she said, smiling widely at the girls holding her only chance of keeping her dignity.

"I'll just put it right over here with your stuff for you," Paige responded in the same fake tone before turning and laughing with her little clique. Maura's face fell as she realized she was stuck, and there was no way she was walking out there in her birthday suit.

As if things couldn't get any worse, the bell suddenly rang, signaling the end of the school day. The girls quickly shuffled out of the locker room, leaving Maura alone in the shower stall. Maura's skin was beginning to rise in tiny bumps, signaling that she was growing cold from the air hitting her wet skin.

'_cutis anserina,'_ Maura thought to herself, noting the proper medical term for the condition.

She began to worry about the possibility of not being found by anyone. What if no one entered the locker room until the next morning? Would she have to get to her clothes by walking over to them—naked? Maura was appalled at the thought. She began to tear up, her lacrimal gland reacting to the situation beyond her control.

Maura peeped out again, noticing it seemed as though everyone was long gone. She'd driven to school, so she had no need to worry about catching a bus or anything like many of the others did. Did she dare make a mad dash for her clothes? It would be risky, and Maura wasn't too keen on risks, but she couldn't very well stay there forever.

Just as Maura was about to just go for it, she heard the sound of footsteps coming towards the shower area. _'Oh, no. They haven't come back for me, have they?'_ she thought in a panic. If this got much worse she'd surely go vasovagal.

However, her brain quickly reasoned that it was only one particular set of sneaker-clad footsteps echoing in the locker room. So, in one of the bravest things she'd ever done, Maura called out softly. "Hello?"

The footsteps stopped and Maura held her breath, afraid she'd done something to anger this unknown stranger. "Is someone in here?" the voice called out, not angry but slightly annoyed.

Maura immediately recognized the raspy voice of her teacher and sighed in relief, since the woman had seemed nice enough. She poked her head out, careful to clutch the curtain over herself, and looked to where the teacher was now standing and searching for the voice.

"Ms. Isles?" Jane said, shocked to see her newest student still standing in a shower stall. "Everything okay?"

"Uhm, yes. You see, some of the girls seem to have taken my towel, and… well…" she wasn't sure how to continue, hoping the teacher would figure out the rest from there.

"Hold that thought," Jane said, stepping out of sight for a moment. She hadn't been a gym teacher very long, but surely this kind of incident couldn't be normal. She quickly located the girl's things, since she was the only one with items remaining on the bench by the lockers, and picked up a fancy white towel. Jane carried it over to where the small girl was still hidden, shivering in the shower, her cheeks a bright shade of red.

"Here you go," she said as she handed the student her towel. Maura continued to stare at Jane, neither of them seeming to move. Maura, because she was trying to get over the shock of the beautiful woman being so kind to her. Jane, because she was trying to shake the thought of her student naked in a shower.

True, Maura was definitely eighteen, or within a month or two from being so, so Jane was having trouble reasoning to herself why that particular thought was so wrong. It wasn't illegal exactly, but Maura was her student. She could get fired for something like that! It was beyond unethical. Yet, something about this girl was already different. Jane just couldn't seem to break her stare from the little blonde, even if she was soaking wet.

"Thank you," Maura finally said awkwardly. She pulled her head back inside and wrapped the towel around herself before stepping out.

Jane's breath caught in her throat. This Maura girl was certainly no little girl, she was a woman. Maura had filled out quite nicely in her years away, and now Jane was having a hard time finding her words as she realized this. The towel could only cover so much.

Maura noticed her teacher's silence and slightly agape facial muscles, but merely walked over to her stuff. However, when she got to it, the panic set in again.

"Uh oh."

"What is it?" Jane managed to ask.

"Well, it appears as though someone must have accidentally taken my clothes with them as well," Maura said in a small voice. Before either knew what they were doing, Jane's hand was on Maura's bare shoulder, rubbing ever so slightly. Maura was surprised, and under normal conditions would have been horrified that a woman in a position such as Jane's would touch her, even there. However, these were definitely not normal conditions.

Clearing her throat when the teacher said nothing, Maura pressed a little further. "I don't suppose you keep an extra pair of gym clothes around here, do you?" she asked, finally looking up at Jane.

"Oh, uh, yea. I think so," Jane mumbled as she was being pulled from her trance. She couldn't get over the way this girl spoke—as if every ounce of elegance just oozed from her mouth. What on Earth did the other girls find to tease this beautiful, intelligent lady about?

She quickly made haste to her office where she always kept a back-up outfit, just in case. She never thought the case would arise, but now was glad she had shorts and a t-shirt stashed away. "Here," she said, handing them to Maura even more awkwardly than she had the towel. "I'll just be in my office. Come find me when you're done," Jane said before stumbling her way back.

Maura smiled, liking the way her teacher was being so nice to her. It was certainly a different atmosphere from her boarding school, where the teachers all seemed to feel negative towards her whenever she proved to know more than they did. This Rizzoli woman, however, was different. She hadn't even once gotten particularly annoyed when Maura spoke today, and actually seemed to smile when she did.

Maura changed quickly, eager to just go home, even though the thought of staying with her teacher seemed strangely appealing.

She knocked apprehensively on Jane's door, hoping she had been sincere in saying she wanted Maura to come talk to her. "Come in," Jane invited, allowing Maura to open her office door and enter. Jane immediately noticed Maura walking with her arms across her chest, covering the effects of the cold air and missing bra.

"Thank you," Maura said shyly again.

"So, let me get this straight. Some of the girls moved your towel and took your clothes? That's ridiculous!" Jane said, her voice steadily building with anger.

"I'm sorry," Maura said in embarrassment and looked down.

"For what?" Jane asked, shocked at the girl's reaction.

Now was Maura's turn to be confused, as she looked up at her teacher as if she'd just joined the conversation for the first time.

"For being the cause of trouble," she said plainly.

Jane couldn't take another second of the crestfallen look on the poor girl's face. She hoped up from her desk chair and came around the front, squatting to be eye level with Maura, who was currently seated in her guest chair. Jane put out a careful hand and lifted her chin so they were eye to eye.

"You did nothing wrong, you got that?" Jane said, making sure every word was heard clearly. Maura nodded after a moment, breaking the contact where her skin felt hot from the touch of Jane's fingers.

"Good, now get out of here," she said jokingly. Maura didn't catch the tone of her voice at first, her face falling a little, once again. Of course, the one person who had been nice to her had decided to get rid of her now too.

Jane immediately noticed the look on the girl's face and wondered if she even understood sarcasm. "I'll see you tomorrow, Maura," Jane said kindly, earning a smile from the girl.

Maura stood and headed towards the door, a bit of a bounce in her steps.

"Oh, and Maura?"

She looked back at her teacher expectantly. "Yes, Ms. Rizzoli?"

"Next time, I'd recommend showering at home. Think of it as an advantage to having class last block," Jane joked, earning a smile from her student.

She watched as the honey blonde walked from her office, chastising herself for watching the girl leave a little too carefully. _'It's just all harmless attraction, right Rizzoli?'_ she thought to herself before letting out a sigh and looking to the work she still had to finish for the day.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: You all are wonderful! I'm completely honored by the response this has gotten. As you may be able to tell, I haven't taken a gym class since middle school (I was always able to replace gym with dance classes in my high school), so sometimes I find the actual class part to be a bit difficult to imagine while I'm writing this. I hope I'm not progressing this too quickly, but if any of you have any suggestions, advice, things you want to see, please let me know!

On a side note, whose going to RizzlesCon? So excited, I got my ticket. Let me know if you're going, if you want, because I'd love to know some other people who are going to be there!

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><p>The next day, Maura entered the locker room a little less fearful than the day before. It wasn't because the other girls had stopped teasing and pranking her; if anything they'd gotten even worse. No, the reason for Maura's more positive outlook was a certain raven haired gym teacher. She had gone home thinking about Jane, or in her mind it was still Ms. Rizzoli, and had been overjoyed to tell her maid all about the wonderful teacher.<p>

Her parents, naturally, were off in Spain on business. She would have called, but they were so annoyed when bothered with frivolous details of her life that she didn't see much reason to. Instead, Maura spent her time talking to her maid, Martha. Martha was probably the only person who would just listen to her and never judge.

Now, Maura was feeling more confident about her last class of the day; she felt as though there was someone she could actually trust. Of course, it certainly didn't help that she was beginning to realize just how attracted she was to the woman. It made her feel like a lost puppy, but as long as Jane was the one who found her, she'd be okay.

"Hey, Maura the bore-a. Still here?" one of Paige's minions taunted.

Maura, honestly confused by the question responded, "Why wouldn't I be here?"

The other girls just laughed again, confusing the young genius even further. Maura was a very smart girl, but when it came to understanding social situations she didn't really understand. Her brain had only seemed to find one setting so far—logical. Using the other parts had only gotten her into trouble.

"Because, you were… oh my god, never mind," the bleach blonde minion said in annoyance. The others just continued to laugh, some even murmuring things about "Maura the bore-a" just loud enough so that she could hear.

Maura dressed in a hurry this time, not wanting to be the last one left in the room, especially with the company of those wretched girls. Jane would be in the gym already, and for some reason she couldn't wait to get up there. Well, actually if she was totally honest with herself, it wasn't just some reason. Maura was beyond certain as to why she was so anxious to see the woman; she just didn't want to admit it yet.

Some of the girls were still laughing as she headed up the stairs to the gym, but Maura tried to think above them. As far as she could see, there was nothing she had done since arriving to have sparked their taunting, but she wasn't about to stay around and find out.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Rizzoli," Maura said as she took her spot in line. Only a few other students had wandered up so far.

Jane looked up from her clipboard and smiled. Today, she was clad in a tight, yet still appropriate, pair of shorts and another gray t-shirt. She kept her hair pulled up, but unlike the day before had several curly whips framing her face. Upon closer inspection, Maura realized the woman didn't wear much makeup, keeping a more natural look about her. _'She's beautiful,'_ Maura thought involuntarily.

For a moment she feared she'd said it out loud, for Jane was looking at her with an almost striking intensity, but then the older woman smiled.

"How's your second day been going, Maura?" Jane asked, showing genuine interest. She wasn't the first teacher to ask Maura how she liked the school, but she was the first who seemed to actually wait for an answer.

Maura smiled brightly. She didn't want Ms. Rizzoli to know that things had only been getting worse; it was bad enough the teacher had found her in such a compromising situation on her first day. As much as she wanted to, Maura knew she couldn't lie. So, instead of responding, she looked around and fidgeted slightly. "I've been doing fine with the curriculum," Maura said, truthfully.

Jane took the response as a signal that she shouldn't push the girl for information just yet; however she would definitely need to eventually. Jane felt sad; she seemed like such a sweet thing, and definitely a beautiful girl. _'Beautiful for the boys her own age, who I'm sure she's much more interested in,'_ Jane scolded herself. She knew it was wrong to feel so drawn to the girl.

Maura Isles was her student, who was currently standing in front of her trying desperately not to look very vulnerable. There had to be a ton of ethical violations in her strange attraction to the student, probably even some legal ones.

There was no way Jane was going to allow herself to get swept up in—_'Oh god, she's putting her hair up. I can see the nape of her neck and… focus Rizzoli!'_ Jane scolded herself again. She pulled her thoughts back to the words coming from the girl in front of her, instead of her looks.

"Ms. Rizzoli?" Maura questioned.

"Hmm?" Jane responded, finally drawn from her thoughts.

"I asked if I would be able to speak with you after class," Maura repeated.

"Oh, uh right. Sure," Jane stammered out as Maura smiled and walked back to the line for attendance. _'Sure? What the hell, Rizzoli?'_ Jane thought and had to fight the involuntary urge to slap her palm to her forehead.

By now the majority of the class was in line, sans a few absentees or class-skippers. Jane marked off who was there before clearing her throat and looking at them all with a serious face. "Girls, before we begin class I need to talk to you about something," Jane began.

Maura felt like a deer in the headlights as her gaze shot up to Ms. Rizzoli. She wouldn't mention what had happened, would she? While Maura didn't appreciate what had been done to her, she didn't want them to have more ammunition against her either. Jane's eyes caught her panicked ones, begging her not to mention what had happened.

Jane stuttered, unsure what to say when it became clear that Maura did not want her to mention the incident like she had planned. She couldn't just let it go; she was still a teacher after all. Yet, Jane could understand why Maura wouldn't have wanted anyone to know she'd been found that way.

"I don't want to hear any more crude talk and taunting from my office," Jane half covered. This gave Maura a visibly relieved look on her face; the incident went unmentioned.

Some of the girls groaned, others looked away sheepishly. "Do you girls have any idea how rude you are to each other? In this class, we do team sports, and if you can't even be civil to each other, then you're not acting very much like a team. Now, I want five laps. Maybe if I make you sweat together you'll start to work together as well," Jane said, blowing her whistle to get them going.

She felt bad punishing Maura alone with the rest, especially since she hadn't heard the girl say a single mean word back, but that was the only way not to single her out. Lucky for them both, Maura was an avid runner and had no problems doing the laps with a barely visible smile.

R&I R&I R&I R&I R&I R&I R&I R&I

After class was over, Maura took Ms. Rizzoli's advice and postponed her shower. As it turned out, most of the girls waited until they got home as well. She changed off in the corner, keeping a close eye on her clothes this time. There was no way she'd have a repeat of her first gym class.

When the bell finally rang, signaling she'd survived the class with only minimal damage, Maura sighed in relief. Everyone flooded from the locker room except the young genius, who hung around virtually unnoticed by her petulant classmates.

Looking in a mirror to check her only slightly messy golden curls and perfectly applied lip gloss, Maura gave herself another glance over to make sure she was entirely composed. It was already becoming quite clear she became flustered around the older woman, and this was a conversation she wished to keep composed throughout.

Walking briskly in her now heel-clad feet, Maura approached Ms. Rizzoli's office and knocked nervously on the door. She felt strange interrupting the woman, even though she had agreed to meet with her.

"Come in," came the raspy voice of a certain raven haired beauty. Maura opened the door carefully, smiling at the woman behind the desk.

"Hello," Maura greeted, taking a seat where Jane gestured.

"You wanted to speak with me?" Jane more stated than asked.

"Right," Maura fumbled with the edge of her skirt, a tell she was feeling a little nervous. Everyone had a tell. In fact, she had done extensive research on the topic while at boarding school, and considered mentioning it to Jane for a moment before recalling that she would then have to admit she was nervous to the woman—another time, perhaps.

"Well, first of all, thank you for not mentioning what happened. I know you probably disliked that they could get away with that, but I'm used to it, really," Maura said a little crestfallen at the last part.

Jane couldn't stand to see the little beauty look sad. _'Damn it, Rizzoli! How are you so hooked already?'_

"Hey, don't mention it. I figured you wouldn't want them to all know your teacher found you stalk naked," Jane said with a laugh, but inwardly wanted to strangle herself. Naked? Really? Was it completely necessary to mention that part?

Maura blushed, feeling like some sort of silly girl with a crush. She had to push it away; she was Maura Isles after all. Someone much too distinguished and proper to let something like that overtake her composure.

"Right," Maura repeated carefully. "But, speaking of that incident, thank you for helping me."

Jane smiled modestly at the girl, half wondering if this is the only reason she'd asked to speak with her.

"It's my job," Jane responded, hoping to keep her answers appropriate, a far cry from her drifting thoughts.

Maura's face fell at the answer. Of course, Jane was just doing her job. She had kind of hoped that the kindness was because Jane genuinely liked her, but of course that wouldn't be the case. Maura had never had someone she could consider a friend, why would this woman, her teacher no less, be any different?

Maura stood awkwardly to leave, no longer seeing reason to talk to the woman who was just doing her job.

"Is that really the only thing you wanted to talk about?" Jane asked, sensing there was more.

Jane, thrown off by the girl's sudden movement, put out a hand to stop her without thinking. Her hand clasped lightly around Maura's wrist, but the jolt from the touch sent them both into shock.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: So sorry for the wait, Lovelies! You see, my internet keeps crashing, and finally seems to be working for the moment but I want to get this posted quickly so it goes up before it's down again. Thanks for sticking with me 3 Muah!

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><p>Maura froze, wishing more than ever that she could lie. Unfortunately, going vasovagal on her teacher wasn't exactly something Maura desired. No, she'd embarrassed herself in front of the woman quite enough for one week.<p>

"It's a silly reason, I should really go," Maura said, still completely crestfallen.

Jane could barely bare the hurt look on the younger girl's face. Whatever she had done, she felt the sudden urge to fix. It was strange, with most students, Jane didn't care that much. They were moody and hormonal teenagers, and she knew it was always better to just stay out of things like that. However, Maura seemed different.

Jane felt the urge to fix whatever had put that look there, no matter what it took. She was attached, and there was no turning away from it. "Maura, please?" Jane practically pleaded. "I promise you, I won't think it's silly," she added in assurance.

"It's just," Maura began, "I guess I was more curious as to why I felt like… well, I feel like I can comfortably confide in you about things." She blushed and looked away, aware that Jane still had her hand wrapped around her arm. "We did just meet, after all, and certainly not under the best of circumstances."

"Hey, that's not silly. I'm glad you feel comfortable talking to me," Jane replied softly.

Maura took a moment to study the face of the raven-haired women; she looked as though she was actually being quite earnest. Maybe Jane hadn't meant the job comment to come across the way she did.

"But because it's your job to, correct?" Maura asked. She was still feeling quite crushed.

Jane looked taken aback before recalling her earlier choice of words. "Maura, I didn't mean it like that," she said gently. "Look, it is my job to talk to deal with students if they come to me with a problem, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy talking to you. If I'm being completely honest, I feel like I could talk to you, too."

Jane wanted to slap herself for saying that. _'Way to go, Rizzoli. Let's just see how else we can freak her out while we're at it,'_ she thought to herself.

"Really?" Maura asked, her face lighting up with hope.

Jane chuckled at the girl's sudden turnaround and gave her a smile. So maybe what she said hadn't been as ill-worded as it sounded in her head.

"Of course! Is that why you wanted to talk? Did you have something in particular you wanted to talk about?" Jane asked encouragingly.

At this, Maura paused. She hadn't actually come with anything specific in mind, just the idea of wanting Jane to know she trusted her. Really, though, how could she not? After the locker room incident, Maura was positive she'd trust the woman with her life.

"Not really," she replied, feeling foolish once more. "I don't know. I guess that, since I've been at this school, nobody has really shown any interest in me, aside from you. My maid, Martha, is an excellent listener in her own right, but I guess I…" she trailed off.

"You want someone that's willing to talk back?" Jane finished for her.

Maura looked at her teacher gratefully and smiled. "Exactly!"

Jane, for the first time, noticed that her hand was still loosely gripping Maura's arm. She also noticed that she might quite enjoy having a conversation with her, as long as she kept her words careful and didn't say anything else she'd regret. She released her grip on the girl's arm, slowly so as not to startle her, but both remained standing.

"I think I'd like that too," Jane said, surprising both of them a little.

"Oh, wonderful!" Maura exclaimed. "Do you like coffee?"

At this, Jane nearly choked on the breath she was currently inhaling. "What?" she said, her inner monologue suddenly breaking out loud in her moment of shock.

Maura, not catching on to the other woman's shock nor understanding any other implications that could spur from her question, simply repeated the inquiry. Jane couldn't help but laugh. This girl was quirky, sure, but there was something about that quirkiness on her that just seemed so damn charming. She was having a hard time pushing back the thought of how irresistible it made the girl.

"I do," Jane replied tentatively, almost positive it was just an innocent offer. _'Of course it's innocent. There's no way these feeling could be mutual, right?'_ she thought.

"Well, you see, my parents are away in Spain and it is Martha's day off. I guess I was hoping that… You see, it gets quite lonely there and…" Maura struggled to ask the question, knowing she would eventually have to finish the thought but not really wanting to.

"If you aren't too busy, would you like to come talk over some coffee?" she boldly asked.

"Sure," Jane surprised herself by responding casually. She knew there was probably something wrong with going to her student's home, alone like that, but the look of sheer excitement that took over Maura's facial features was more than worth any slap on the wrist.

"Oh, all right, well, do you have any work you need to finish up?" Maura asked, surprised that had accepted so easily. She'd never invited anyone to her home before, having spent most of her time at home participating in her parents' events. That probably wasn't going to be happening any more, what with their newfound information on her. Maura knew she was one step closer to complete social outcast in her family's eyes.

"No, it's not like I have to grade papers or anything," Jane laughed. It was one of the perks to being a gym teacher; the outside work was more limited.

"Okay," Maura smiled, "I have my car here, would you like to just follow me in yours?" She cocked her head to the side in confusion to the sudden blush gracing Jane's prominent cheek bones.

"Well, actually, I walk to work," she admitted. Maura was surprised for a moment, but one look at Jane's bulging muscles and it made perfect sense that the beautifully fit woman would prefer walking to driving.

"It's just that I live fairly close, and I run in the morning, so it just makes more sense to walk the short distance," Jane explained, not quite able to read the look on Maura's face.

Finally, Maura smiled, having decided Jane walking seemed to be a perfectly wonderful occurrence. "I can drive us both," she said.

Jane, relieved that Maura didn't seem to mind having to take a passenger home with her, let out the breath she'd been discreetly holding.

"Well, according to my calculations, most of the students should be gone by now, so I don't believe we'll need to worry about someone seeing you get into my car," Maura mentioned, finally acknowledging the convictions of what they were doing out loud.

Jane groaned, wondering why she was allowing herself to do this. It only took one look though, one look into those sincere eyes, and she knew exactly why. Jane was inexplicably attracted to her student, and it seemed there was nothing she could do about it.

"Let's go," Jane concurred, grabbing her light jacket off the back of her chair.

"Dressed like that?" Maura let slip.

Jane looked shockingly at Maura, and then glanced down in confusion at her own apparel. "What's wrong with my outfit?" she asked a little too loud.

"Well, nothing is wrong with it for a typical gym setting, but don't you bring something more appropriate to change into at the end of the day?" Maura asked, completely serious.

Jane was still confused. While she wasn't exactly in a suit, her athletic clothes were just about all she lived in.

"No," Jane answered, worried she would lose Maura with the answer.

Maura certainly did look shocked, but not appalled like Jane had imagined she would. It was as if what Jane was saying was as unheard of to her as the fancy designer Maura was wearing probably was to Jane.

"Oh," Maura simply replied, not self-conscious that her comment had overstepped some boundary that most people may have been.

Jane smiled, deciding to let it go as one of Maura's adorable quirks, and continued to put her coat on. Maura was already prepared to depart, and looked around the office while Jane got ready. There wasn't much to make the room very personable, nothing to indicate a thing about Jane's private life. The woman had seemed so easy to be open with, yet suddenly seemed so closed off from everyone. Maura made it her own personal mission to find out about the mysterious teacher.

The walk to the car was quick, both hoping no one questioned their leaving together. After all, it was completely innocent, right?


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: All right, so if any of you don't hate me for taking so long, I hope you like this update! I'm kind of indifferent about it still. I've been so busy, I am so sorry it took me so much longer for this update. Long story short, I'm writing a novel and typically have been using this to write when I get stuck but want to keep writing something. I've been having a good few weeks working on that, so not much Rizzles inspiration. Also, I just did a theatre workshop and spent about six hours teaching little kids some dances. I hurt, a lot. I've discovered that I apparently hate people today, and that children are terrifying in mass quantities of over a hundred. That has definitely been taking a lot of my time lately.

This chapter is for Vincent52, for being so patient and reminding me to update! Honestly, those are the little pushes I really need sometimes, so thank you!

Without further ado...

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><p>The walk to the car was quick, both hoping no one questioned their leaving together. After all, it was completely innocent, right?<p>

The ride to Maura's home was quiet, the air at a standstill between them as both women sat in contemplation over what they were doing. Masked by feign-innocence, both knew the repercussions of what was truly occurring. Maura was quickly falling for her teacher, and Jane wasn't far behind.

Pulling in, Jane's eyes widened as it took in the expansive house in front of her. "Jesus, Maur! What do you live in Buckingham Palace or something?" Jane gawked. She surprised herself at the level of comfort she was showing her student with the way she spoke.

Maura frowned and tilted her head slightly to the side in thought. "Actually, Ms. Rizzoli, the Buckingham Palace is approximately 828,818 square feet in size. That's much larger than my Boston home," Maura explained as if it were a fact everyone should know.

Jane just looked to her and raised her eyebrow. "Do you always do that?" she asked curiously.

Maura looked away in embarrassment and sighed. "Yes," she tentatively responded, afraid of what Jane would think. "I can't help it; it's like a natural reflex for me."

Jane thought for a moment before flashing the younger girl a famous Rizzoli smile. "I think it's endearing," Jane decided carefully.

At this, Maura perked up. She smiled, finally deciding to exit her car. They were already too far to turn back anyways.

"And, please, when we're not in school, just call me Jane," Jane instructed, feeling awkward every time Maura said "Ms. Rizzoli."

This was a little unsettling for Maura, for she had always called teachers by their proper name, but the look on Jane's face told her she should do it anyways. "Are you sure?" Maura clarified. It went against her better judgment, but then so did everything else they were implicating themselves in.

"Positive," Jane smirked, following Maura up to the expansive front oak door. The porch glistened around them as the springtime flowers blossomed in a variety of colors throughout the Isleses' garden.

"Well, I suppose I can handle that, Jane." Once it was spoken, Maura felt as though she could never utter another name. The name rolled off her tongue, filling the smooth air around her with something unfamiliar yet comforting. It was certain to the young genius that something about Jane was quite different from other women.

She pulled a set of silver keys from her purse and unlocked the doorknob and two other locks added as extra safety measures. Jane just looked on in awe the entire time, still shocked someone could live somewhere so grand.

"Your home is beautiful," Jane smiled, following Maura into a formal room with a fireplace, an antique coffee table, a floral couch and two-chair set, a variety of glass light fixtures, and a statue of some man she didn't recognize.

"I assumed you'd prefer the less formal room?" Maura more stated than asked. What surprised Jane, though, wasn't that Maura had assumed something; it was the fact that this is what she considered the less formal room, when it was certainly fancier than any area of her own home.

"Uh, right," Jane said simply, not wanting to insult Maura in any way. She flung her things across the back of the couch, earning a shocked look from Maura who was doing everything in her power to keep calm over Jane's disorganized habits.

Every social etiquette technique she'd ever learned and societal bone in her body were practically screaming to do the polite thing and ask to take Jane's coat for her, but something stopped Maura from doing so. She hypothesized, using the content look on Jane's face and the increase in released endorphins in her own body, that it must have been that she liked the presence of Jane in her home, and if that was the kind of atmosphere she naturally preferred and created, Maura would like that too.

They walked to the kitchen, Jane still in awe and Maura still trying to forget Jane's lack of etiquette.

"What the hell is that?" Jane screeched.

Maura, clueless as to what Jane could possibly be referring to, jumped and began frantically checking her surroundings for anything out of place. When she couldn't seem to find the cause of Jane's disruption, Maura stopped and tilted her head to the side.

"What is what, Jane?" Maura asked, still highly concerned. Her heart was racing a mile a minute, and Maura could swear her BPA must have risen from the shock.

"That!" Jane exclaimed, pointing to the large tortoise slowly making his way across the floor, oblivious to the reaction he was getting.

"Bass?" Maura asked, still confused. What did Jane find so strange about her tortoise?

"It has a name?" Jane was still in some form of shock.

At this, Maura frowned, not used to people seeing her tortoise, let alone questioning him. "HE," she corrected firmly, "is an African Spurred Tortoise."

"You have a turtle?" Jane deadpanned.

"No, Bass is a tortoise," Maura clarified, not allowing her annoyance, if she even had any, to show through.

"There's a difference?" Jane asked, soon regretting it for she really didn't want an answer. Maura, however, didn't even notice the cringe that took over Jane's complexion as she began to explain something—one of Maura's favorite things to do.

"Oh, of course!" she began. "You see, Jane, the two front feet on a turtle are webbed, because turtles can swim and spend a great deal of their time in water. However, a tortoise has all four feet the same and can actually drown in water if it's too deep for him to stand in. Of course, that's just one difference. The creatures really aren't all that similar if you think about it."

Jane, realizing that Maura wasn't finished yet, decided to jump in. "Wow, that sounds fascinating, Maura, and I'm sure you have a great deal of more information in that head of yours that is just itching to come out. However, now that we have that clarified, didn't you want to talk about something?" Jane rambled, looking for anything that could change the conversation from turtles. She was beginning to get slightly freaked out by the way Bass was looking at her.

"Oh, right," Maura responded, her face falling once again. Jane immediately felt bad for bringing whatever it was up, but then she remembered the turtle and decided Maura was the one who had wanted to talk in the first place.

"Do you take any cream or sugar?" Maura asked, finishing up the coffee.

"Yeah," Jane replied distractedly, still eyeing up Bass.

"Care to be a bit more specific?" Maura smirked, finding Jane's response simply amusing.

"Oh, right," Jane said, shaking herself out of it. "Two sugars will be fine."

Maura set out the two cups of coffee and looked around. She wasn't sure if Jane would want to go back to the room they'd been in or if she'd prefer to stay in the kitchen. Jane, seeming to sense Maura's hesitation, grabbed her own sugar-laden cup and headed for the "informal" room of Maura's abundant home.

She took a seat on one end of the overstuffed plush suede couch and smiled when Maura nervously sat at the other. Both had the same unvoiced thought running through their heads—this was awkward. They sipped in silence until, seemingly out of nowhere, Maura just started laughing.

Jane, not finding humor in the preceding silence, just donned a puzzled expression and looked to the younger woman expectantly.

"Something funny, Maur?" she asked apprehensively.

"Oh, it's just," Maura said, her laughter slowly dying down into shaking breaths, "what are we doing?"

The question threw Jane off guard, as it was clearly something she didn't want to will herself to think about. If Maura was questioning their relationship, then that was the equivalent to speaking it out loud. That just couldn't happen; not yet anyways. Jane wasn't prepared for the consequences that would surely come.

"We are… talking," Jane stated, deciding on a route that seemed less dangerous.

The silence pursued another moment longer, then Maura decided to speak again. "I kissed my roommate," she said blankly.

"What?" Jane asked, now thoroughly confused at the outburst.

"I know you're wondering, everyone seems to be, why I would leave such a prestigious boarding school to finish the last little bit of my high school education at a Boston public school. Well, that's why. It's because I kissed my roommate," Maura said sadly.

Jane, on the other hand, still wasn't making much sense of the girl's jumbled emotions. "I don't understand."

Maura sighed before continuing. "Jane, my roommate was a girl," she explained as if that made all the sense in the world. When she saw that Jane still didn't seem to be getting it, Maura went on.

"Where I went to school, that kind of thing was considered unladylike and completely improper. I guess I read the signals all wrong, and she got freaked out when I did it. I've never been very good at reading people. Well, long story short, the headmaster was furious and I found myself on a plane back to Boston," Maura explained.

"They kicked you out, just for kissing someone?" Jane asked incredulously.

Maura smiled, a little endeared at Jane's concern, but she knew Jane wasn't used to the way social things like that worked. "Places like that don't just exist, Jane; they need people's money in order to stay open and high-class. It only takes one socialite parent to start a chain reaction of people threatening to take their kids, and their money, away from the school. They really had no choice."

Things turned quite once more, before Jane decided to take her turn breaking the silence.

"Why are you telling me all this?" she asked carefully. It seemed like such a personal conversation for Maura to be having, but Jane did feel slightly honored she'd been included in it.

"Because, I need to know. I can't make the same mistake again," Maura said, looking down and suddenly finding a great interest in the hem of her shirt.

"Need to know what?"

"If I'm misreading the signals this time, too."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Notes: Thanks for the feedback and reminders, lovely readers! Haha, I'm sorry I had to make this update a little shorter, but that seemed like a good place to end it and I need to go get ready for a little birthday celebration tonight that is ending with a Rizzles marathon that I am very excited about! So, don't get mad, since I plan on updating this before a week has gone by to make up for the shortness. And hey, one more week until spring break, so I should be able to get a lot of updates in then.

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><p><em>"Because, I need to know. I can't make the same mistake again," Maura said, looking down and suddenly finding a great interest in the hem of her shirt.<em>

_"Need to know what?"_

_"If I'm misreading the signals this time, too."_

Jane felt her muscles freeze as the words Maura had spoken penetrated through her mind. Had she been sending signals? Oh, of course she had, but Jane hadn't wanted Maura to mention them. That was like admitting to guilt, and she wasn't ready to do that yet.

"Huh?" Jane managed to squeak out as she noticed Maura was moving closer. This appeared to be going in the direction she'd wanted, but this was a whole new territory for the gym teacher to face.

Maura, on the other hand, was having some sort of internal screaming match. Her mind, smart as always, kept repeating the consequences of what she was about to do. Yet her feet seemed to have a mind of their own as they slowly moved her towards where Jane was perched.

When Maura was a few mere inches away from Jane's face, she stopped her movements and spoke. "Am I reading the signals right from you? Because I think you want this to happen," Maura husked. She didn't know what had come over her in that moment, but whatever chemical imbalance she must have been experiencing was one Maura did not want to go away just yet.

When Jane didn't respond after a few seconds, Maura took the initiative of closing the distance between them. Jane didn't react at first, as Maura molded them together, but the softness of the younger girl's lips was so enticing she couldn't help herself.

Maura tasted sweet, like a mix of vanilla and honey. Jane embraced the new flavor as she crushed her own lips harder into Maura's. Her hands involuntarily reached up and found the other woman's hair, entangling in the soft nest.

Jane felt her own lips moving back as they meshed together. The kiss wasn't perfect, it wasn't surrounded with fireworks or wedding bells, but it was instead filled with hesitancy and a sense of new territory that had to still be explored. Maura smiled into the kiss however, for the kiss did not have to be perfect to feel right—which is exactly how it felt.

The way Jane kissed her back and pulled her close was the closest thing to right Maura had ever experienced, even more so than when she spent hours in a lab examining foreign species.

Jane smiled back when she felt Maura's lips morph into one against her own. She felt happy, which was something she'd been desperately trying to feel for the longest time. It seemed that the simple emotion should have been easy to find, but for Jane it had seemed impossible until her lips were touching Maura's. That, she concluded, was exactly the happiness she'd been searching for.

But then, as if reality had just returned to crumble apart that happiness, Jane pulled away.

Maura had this perfectly goofy grin on her face that Jane would have normally found adorable; not it was just heart wrenching. She knew what she had so do, but the thought of taking that look off Maura's face was almost painful.

Jane's face must have shown her internal dilemma quite well, for Maura's expression quickly turned to a frown when she noticed Jane's. They sat in silence, Maura trying to figure out what she'd done wrong and Jane just trying to process what had happened.

She'd kissed a student, violated so many moral and ethical codes, probably just cost herself her job, yet she had enjoyed it. She didn't get how she could enjoy doing something that meant all of those things, but she had.

Then, of course, there was the biggest problem of all that Maura was definitely still not aware of. The problem Jane had to go home and face now, and she didn't even know how.

"I have to go," Jane said suddenly, jumping up from the couch and heading towards where she remembered the door to be.

"Jane, wait!" Maura called after her. There was no way this could happen again; with Jane it just felt so sure to her. She wanted that feeling to come back.

Maura soon caught up to the door where Jane was putting her coat on in a heavily flustered manner.

"Jane, please talk to me. If you didn't want me to do that, I'm sorry. Just, please don't go," Maura practically begged. She hated begging, it was so not classy, but this was what she considered an emergency.

Maura couldn't lose the one person she'd found she could talk to, and silently cursed herself for doing something to screw that up.

Jane looked at the hurt eyes she had caused and sighed. All she wanted to do was pull Maura in her arms and kiss her again, but that thought absolutely terrified her. No, she had to get away.

"I'm sorry," Jane said shakily, opening the door to leave.

"Jane, at least let me drive you home," Maura offered politely, despite the crushing feeling she felt in her chest.

Crap. Jane had forgotten that Maura drove her there. Still, the urge to get away was pulling at Jane in all directions. She knew exactly what she wanted to do, but her instincts were mixing and driving her insane to the point where she just wanted one second of internal peace.

Maura seemed to be that peace, for she jumped back to where the blonde was and crushed their lips together once more, this time with more passion. Jane didn't let it last, for once that clear moment was gone she returned to feeling panicked.

"I'll walk," was all she said as she took off down the street and away from Maura. She didn't want Maura to see her when the tears started to flow.

Jane figured she deserved to cry thought for what she'd just done. So many things had been jeopardized, yet the only one that seemed to matter was her relationship with Maura. In fact, now the only face she saw when she closed her eyes was Maura's; she was everywhere.

Jane swore when the rain began to fall, knowing she should have just accepted the offer for a ride. She just wasn't ready to face Maura after she'd run away like that, and who would be? Jane knew she deserved every second of walking alone in the cold Boston rain.

Maura, on the other hand, was still standing in her doorway watching the older woman run away. It didn't seem right that someone like that could just make her feel to content and then disappear, but Maura gave her the better of the doubt. She always did, and with Jane she was sure she always would.

Her mind began to make a list of possible reasons for Jane to have left so suddenly. She was scared, she'd just remembered she left the stove on at home, she'd gone to look into the rules about relationships with students… anything but the thought that she just didn't want Maura.

The honey blonde realized she was still standing in the doorway when it began to rain. Part of her was happy; at least Jane would suffer for leaving like that by having to walk in the rain. However, the larger part of Maura was worried about the woman walking so far like that. It's not as if Maura lived close enough to the school, and certainly not to Jane's house.

She sighed, deciding against her better judgment not to drive after Jane and insist on giving her a ride home. If she wanted to get away from Maura, she was welcome to do just that. Maura was perfectly used to it, after all. This time, however, she was determined to get an explanation from the woman.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: It's been a long week, so sorry you all didn't get that update sooner like I originally said. In lighter news, I got my first tattoo! Yay! And Ow! Anyways, don't hate me for this chapter. It's something I've been toying with for a while, and I'm not sure I liked how I ended up writing it, but we'll see how things work out.

This is for Vincent52 for making sure I get my ass moving with these updates, haha!

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><p>Jane walked in her front door and sighed, knowing he wouldn't question why she was soaked to the bone. After all, she always took her bike home from work, although she doubted he would have questioned her even if she didn't. But Jane understood; he had more important things to worry about. He always had more important things to worry about. It was his job to have more important things to worry about.<p>

The aforementioned "he" was none other than Jane's fiancé, Gabriel Dean. It isn't that the man was uncaring, she had to have seen something in him to let things get so far, but he was a senior agent for the FBI—they had a lot of important work to do that often had to come first.

"Jane, turns out I won't be home for dinner tonight. I need to fly to D.C. for a few days," Dean said, overlooking her current state like she knew he would.

"Okay. Uhm, how come? Do you know when you'll be back?" Jane asked, as her mind was not really there. She couldn't stop thinking about what she'd just done to Maura. Well, and Gabriel.

"That's need to know," he said, the FBI agent coming out. "I don't know how long they need me." Dean walked up to Jane, suitcase in hand, and planted a chaste kiss on her lips before continuing out the door. "Love you!" he shouted, already out of her line of sight.

Jane cringed at the feeling of his lips on hers, regretting allowing the rough texture to touch where Maura's own lips had so softly caressed. Maura had been sweet against her, but now she had only the aftertaste of stale liquor and cologne. Maura's kisses had been perfect, where his just seemed invasive now. She shook her head; he was her fiancé, after all, not Maura. Jane needed to remember that.

Still, she couldn't shake the churn her stomach did when he said those last two words after causing such a feeling of violation. Jane knew he was just trying to be a good boyfriend, but her reaction seemed to be trying to tell her otherwise.

She felt guilty. Jane hated feeling guilty, and had been doing so good to push it away until now.

Jane had neglected to tell Maura about Dean, and vise versa. He was a good guy, but Jane knew he'd never be okay with what she'd done to him. Good guys don't typically like to find out about their fiancés kissing other girls—at least, not when it wasn't some drunken mishap at a party. And she'd kissed someone else, and in a not so friendly way. She'd given more of her affection over to a student than she had ever done to her own fiancé.

Jane wondered when that had changed; that her heart had begun to pull in the direction of another. She couldn't remember the last time she'd uttered those words back to Dean, and for that, she felt guilty. Instead, she'd cringed as he said them. Some fiancé she was.

Jane groaned and sat down at her couch, her clothes still soaked, and opened up a beer. She didn't even care enough to change at the moment; just wanted to drink herself into oblivion until she forgot all about the conflicts roaming through her head. Unfortunately, Maura Isles was a very hard girl to forget.

A yipping sound brought her attention to the floor, where a small terrier was looking up at her with concerned eyes. "Hey, Jo," Jane groaned, reaching down to pick her dog up. She yipped and tried to pull away upon reaching Jane's wet clothes, earning a chuckle from the teacher.

"Okay, how about you can sit at the other end of the couch?" Jane bargained with her furry pal, who seemed to happily oblige.

Jane stared ahead into the silence for a few moments, drinking her beer with one hand and petting Jo's soft fur with the other.

"I cheated on Gabriel, Jo," Jane confessed with a sigh. "Well, kind of. It was more of an emotional cheating than a physical one," Jane clarified, as if the dog might take things the wrong way.

Jo perked her head up at Jane attentively, as if taking every word her owner said into deep consideration.

"I did kiss her though," Jane admitted. At this, Jo let out a little yip of a response. "Yep, girl, it was a girl. One of my students, no less."

"And now I don't know what to do. It should be an easy choice, right? I mean, you like Dean, don't you, Jo?" Jane asked as if she'd actually get an answer. At this, Jo growled, earning a throaty laugh from her owner. "Yeah, well, he doesn't like you much either. You chewed his shoes again."

Jane took another chug from her drink, her mind drifting back to the kiss from Maura. "It was a great kiss, though," Jane absentmindedly said out loud. She pulled the necklace strand out from under her shirt, fiddling with the ring that was on it. That had been a promise of forever she'd agreed to make, but it hadn't even begun and she'd faltered on that.

In the difference between right and wrong, Jane could find no right option. There seemed to be only grey area left in her life, for the time being. She had options, sure, but neither presented itself to be perfect.

First, she could tell Dean about Maura. He'd be mad, but he'd get over it eventually. He always had been able to forgive her easily. But he'd also expect her to give Maura up, maybe even find a job somewhere else. Then there was the fact that he always felt obligated towards the law; the man had trouble keeping Gabriel and Dean separate. Jane wasn't too keen on this option.

She could also just end things with Maura before they progressed and not tell Gabriel. But then she'd have to lie to him, and while Jane was capable of lying, it wasn't something she wanted to do. What kind of marriage could they have if it began based on lies?

Then there was the more daring option that seemed to excite Jane the most in ways she didn't even understand. Jane could leave Gabriel and everything they'd been so desperately trying to build and be with Maura. It was a crazy thought that Jane wanted to brush aside, but the intoxication of the alcohol was making that difficult to do. She kept picturing herself walking around with Maura, hand in hand, not caring what anyone said or did. However, that presented the other problem.

What would happen if Jane did pick Maura? Even if Maura let her back in after what she'd just done, there was still the problem of them being public. As long as Maura was her student, that wouldn't be acceptable. Jane groaned, her head spinning from a mix of confusion and beer.

"I think I love her, Jo," Jane confessed to the pup. "Can you imagine? I just met her and she's my student, but I think I love her." Jane felt lost, and even more so when she realized she was talking to her dog about her problems.

"And now I've drunken so much beer that I'm spilling my guts to a dog." She sighed, still not wanting to move from her position on the couch.

Gabriel was a good man, and he deserved better from her. But when Jane realized she couldn't do any better, she started to think maybe he just deserved an entirely better person. "My fiancé is off doing God knows what, things that could be dangerous, and all I'm worried about is what Maura must think of me," Jane admitted to Jo.

With a heavy sigh, Jane peeled herself and her wet clothes off the couch and grabbed her rarely used car keys. She knew what she needed to do.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: Thanks, lovelies! A little bunny has told me it's time for another update! From the feedback I got, it seems you all would really love Dean to stick around, right? Ha! I don't know what to do about him yet, but he always becomes such a pest. Also, thanks for all who've stuck by this after not being able to access the last update. I'm not really sure what happened, or how it suddenly worked again, but just let me know if it happens again.

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><p>Maura had been meditating since Jane had stormed off on her, which is why she was so startled at the sound of the doorbell breaking her calm cone of silence. She hated fighting; it was stressful, although she wasn't exactly sure if what had happened constituted a fight. Jane had hardly said enough to let Maura know where they stood.<p>

With a sigh, Maura stood from her yoga mat and slipped back into her Prada heels. It would feel absolutely indecent to answer the door in anything else. Plus, the shoes helped her feel centered once more, as she had lost all focus and calmness with the interruption. She clicked her way across the spacious oak floors, all the while wondering who it could possibly be.

Maura certainly wasn't expecting the sight she found waiting on the other side. "Jane?" Sure enough, there was Jane Rizzoli, standing in her rain drenched clothes and shivering slightly. Maura, never one to forget her manners, invited the woman inside. There were many things she wanted to say, but none of them seemed to be coming to her.

Once Jane had stepped inside the large entryway and the door had been closed, the silence of Maura's home resumed. Maura looked at Jane expectantly, listening to the steady sound of dripping coming from Jane's shirt. When it seemed Jane was at a loss for words, she knew something needed to be done; if for nothing else than to stop the incessant dripping.

"You're wet," Maura stated blatantly.

"I know and I'm s-," Jane was cut off.

"No!" Maura said a little too loud, startling both Jane and herself. "You left," she spoke a little more softly, yet with still a sense of anger in her voice.

"I did," Jane said, cautious of going on. When it seemed that the young Isles wasn't going to interrupt this time, Jane continued. "I think there are some things I need to say to you, so you can understand."

"Understand what? That you got scared and ran away without the slightest explanation? No, Jane, I don't think there's anything you can say," Maura huffed.

"Maura, it's not that simple! You kissed me!" Jane nearly yelled.

"I don't recall you trying to stop me. In fact, I clearly remember you kissing me back, Jane!" Maura yelled back.

Jane closed her eyes and let out a breath to try and calm herself down—fighting wouldn't solve anything. And besides, she knew as much as she'd like to, there was no way to blame Maura for anything. Maura had been honest and upfront with her; Jane felt sick to her stomach at the thought that she hadn't done the same.

"Look, Maura," Jane began, this time in a much more level voice. Maura crossed her arms across her chest and let out a breath of her own, looking expectantly at Jane to continue. "I admit that I did kiss you back and that I found you…" Jane resisted the urge to lick her lips, "very intoxicating."

"Then why did you leave?" Maura asked, her patience wearing thin. She wasn't sure if she was more annoyed with the way Jane was skating around an answer or the constant dripping sound still in the background.

"Does it matter? I came back, didn't I?" Jane spoke, moving in closer to Maura. She knew she was on thin ice with the direction she was going, but Jane wasn't sure Maura would like what she had to say.

Maura put a hand up to stop Jane from getting any closer, afraid that if she did, she wouldn't be able to help herself. "Yes, Jane, it does matter. How am I supposed to know you won't just disappear again?"

Jane sighed, trying to think of a way to convince the girl of what she wasn't even sure of. Truthfully, Jane had no way of knowing whether or not another kiss from Maura would make her stay. "You won't," Jane settled on the truth, or at least some of it.

She closed the distance between Maura and herself, crushing her lips to those of the resisting honey blonde woman. Jane melted into her sweetness as Maura finally reacted back, seeming to take that as an acceptable answer for the moment. Jane raised her hands to Maura's hair and entangled herself in them, trying to get as much of Maura's essence as she could. Jane needed to be sure she was making the right choice.

Everything within her was pulling in too many directions and it was becoming too much. The teacher felt overwhelmed, as if everything was spinning. She didn't know how much longer she'd be able to hold it in… "I'm engaged," Jane finally blurted out as she broke the kiss and the spell that had come over them.

Maura immediately pushed Jane away, stunned by the words she least expected to hear. In fact, for the first time in her life, the young genius doubted her hearing. Could there be something wrong with her vestibular? "You're what?" Maura asked in a minuscule voice.

"Engaged," Jane said almost ashamed.

"As in, getting married?" Maura clarified, hoping beyond reason Jane meant something else. Not that she could come up with any other possible scenario. Jane just nodded, seemingly quite interested in the floor.

"I should get you some dry clothes," Maura deadpanned. She robotically moved to go up the stairs, not at all surprised when Jane didn't try to stop her. She just needed a moment. Upon entering her room, Maura began to wipe her mouth with the back of her hand, wanting all remnants of the betrayal she felt completely removed. Her tears fell silently down her porcelain cheeks.

Maura took her time, moving to find something Jane would fit into. She figured a dress would be out of the question, and then cringed when she realized she was still thinking about Jane's best interests. Maura needed some sort of explanation for Jane's words, even if there wasn't one. She needed something to confirm that she wasn't going insane for the woman.

She ran her fingers along the lines of designer brands and exhaled lightly—nothing could calm her more. The sense of peace rushed over her for a moment and she centered her energy on all her prized clothing items. Now feeling composed, Maura opened her eyes and looked around for anything Jane could wear.

She finally settled on an unused tracksuit that had been a bit too long for Maura's shorter limbs. It wasn't her ideal outfit for sitting about the house, but Maura figured Jane wouldn't mind or even know the difference.

R&I R&I R&I R&I

Fifteen minutes later, Maura was seated upon her couch, waiting for Jane to finish changing into the dry clothes. She had barely spoken a word since the big announcement, aside from a muttered thanks. Maura did not like that, and she was determined to talk as long as she had to so she could get to the bottom of what Jane's fiancé meant for them. If there even was a 'them.'

Jane finally entered the room cautiously, weary of what Maura might say to her. She sat at the opposite end of the couch, still unsure what to articulate.

"You're engaged," Maura repeated from earlier, looking at Jane expectantly.

"I should have told you sooner, Maur, I just wasn't sure how. Everything with us just happened so fast," Jane confessed, looking completely torn apart.

Maura felt bad seeing Jane like this, but she couldn't help but feel a little bit of resentment towards Jane for leaving like that without mentioning the fiancé part.

"I understand, really, but, Jane, what you did was…"

"Stupid?" Jane guessed, allowing her humorous side to try peaking out.

Maura smiled a little before adding, "Well, I wouldn't have put it so crudely, but yes."

Jane chuckled to herself, feeling the air around them warm slightly. Silence resumed to the room until Jane decided it was best to speak up again. "He's a good man, Maura."

The honey blonde looked thoughtful for a moment, as if contemplating what she should do. _'How good of a man could he really be if she keeps kissing me?'_ Maura thought to herself. "Do you love him?" Maura asked suddenly.

"What?" Jane said, pulled from her thoughts of Maura's hands running through her hair.

"Your fiancé, do you love him?" she repeated.

"Maura…" Jane groaned.

"Just answer the question, Jane," Maura practically pleaded, now growing exasperated with the woman.

"I don't know," Jane answered honestly, after a moment of hesitation.

"Well, then, until you can honestly tell me you do, I won't give up," Maura smirked, scooting closer to Jane to close the distance between them.

She put every ounce of seduction she could into that kiss, eliciting a raspy moan from Jane in response. When Jane's hands found themselves at home on Maura's perky breasts, however, the young genius pulled away with a smirk.

"But, until you can tell me that you love me," Maura whispered in her ear, "no more than kissing."

Jane glared playfully at her as she pulled away; Maura making sure Jane got an extra glance at her abundant cleavage. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, yes, Jane, I would," Maura smirked, sitting back against the couch in her own little bubble.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: Oh yeah, I updated without having to be reminded! I'm sure you're all so proud. Thanks again for all the support with this story, I seem to keep doubting it a lot lately, and I'm not too sure how much I like it, but seeing that a lot of you do like it makes me want to keep writing it. Now, that being said, I have absolutely no idea where this chapter came from. It isn't at all what I was planning; it just sort of happened. Being someone who believes a story comes out a certain way for a reason, I'm posting this before I get the chance to change my mind. Sorry if there are any mistakes I didn't catch in my rush to post!

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><p>The next several days transpired quite normally between Jane and Maura. The later made sure to keep her distance during the school day to avoid any presumptions. The last thing Maura needed was to give her classmates another thing to tease her endlessly about, and being caught in a less-than-professional manner with the teacher would definitely raise unwanted speculation.<p>

Jane, on the other hand, was doing her best to avoid Maura for slightly different reasons. Sure, she didn't want anyone to find out, but she also wasn't entirely sure what to say to the honey blonde. Maura's assurance that she wasn't finished with Jane had seemed nice, even sexy in a commanding sort of way, but now that Jane was mostly away from the euphoric intoxication of the younger woman, she doubted the outcome of things.

Jane wasn't an easy person to get along with, that she knew well from the never ending complaints she received from her mother. She wasn't sure how Maura would be able to handle her in general, let alone with all the added problems like legalities and fiancés. Yet, there was something endearing in the way Maura was holding out on her until she decided.

Maura wasn't trying to pressure her into a decision, just simply staking her claim. She was being clear with what she wanted and making sure Jane wanted the same before she made a fool of herself. There was no doubt about it; Maura Isles was a very smart girl.

What Jane feared, above all, was what Maura had in store for her. After their little conversation, Maura had made it clear that she would prove to Jane that she could be good for her—not that Jane really needed any convincing. The brunette knew the silence between them could only last so long, and she was right.

It was Friday, and school had let out approximately twenty minutes before. Jane was just gathering her things from her desk after imputing a few grades into the computer system when a sharp knock was heard on her office door. Jane sighed, wishing whoever it was would just go away so she could go begin her weekend.

To the teacher's surprise, however, the door opened to reveal the one person she wasn't too keen on getting rid of. Maura Isles stepped in, clad in a skirt several inches too short for school policy (Jane figured she must have changed into this only now), a tasteful but low-cut red top, and a pair of her typical three inch do-me heels.

"Hello, Ms. Rizzoli," Maura hummed as she strutted in and plopped down in the chair in front of Jane's desk.

_Oh, this girl is going to be the death of me, _Jane thought. She couldn't take her eyes of the deceivingly beautiful blonde sitting in front of her in a tantalizingly comparable position.

After taking a moment to find her words, Jane moved in front of where Maura was seated and sat down on the edge of her desk in her usual garb.

"My eyes are up here, Jane," Maura smirked, clearly loving the effect she was having on the older woman.

Jane's face turned crimson at having been caught, but she managed to change her gaze to look Maura in the eye. "I haven't seen you in a few days. Outside of class, that is," Jane said, trying to distract herself with conversation.

"I've been busy. I was actually researching the occurrence rate of spondylolisthesis in high school athletes. It seems that the slip tends to occur between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebra, which I found quite interesting because…" Maura prattled on. At the mention of her activities from the past few days, she had gotten excited to share her newest finding with someone, momentarily forgetting the reason she had come into Jane's office in the first place. Maura was on a mission to tease Jane, and talking about spinal bones slipping out of place would typically have put a damper on that.

However, as luck would have it for the young doctor-to-be, Jane wasn't hearing a word she said anyways. It hadn't taken long for her eyes to wander back down to where Maura's shirt dipped especially low. She longed to know what it would feel like to take another woman's breast between her hands, especially Maura's. In fact, her thoughts took her so far away that she didn't even notice Maura had gotten significantly closer.

"Jane," Maura said, a little louder the third time. She had been trying to get Jane's attention for a while, but was pleased to see her plan was working.

"Hmm, I'm sorry, what?" Jane asked, finally coming out of her trance-like state.

"I asked you if you were free tonight," Maura said nervously. She tried to mask her voice with a tone of seduction, but nothing could change the fact that Maura had no idea what she was actually doing. That was the problem with being socially awkward; she didn't have Jane's natural flow of things quite yet.

"I... Uh…," Jane stumbled, not really sure what to say. She wanted to accept the offer, but at the same time, she still hadn't convinced herself that any of this was a good idea.

As if sensing Jane's hesitancy, Maura moved in and put her lips close to Jane's ear, leaving the effects of her hot breath on Jane's skin. "I thought I could take you somewhere for a good time," Maura husked.

Jane held her breath with a sharp intake, afraid to move. She remembered Maura's words from the other night, and they had been very clear that nothing more could come from things until Jane had made a choice.

_Maybe she's changed her mind, _Jane thought hopefully.

"A good time, huh?" Jane asked in her typical low voice that had an air of desperation to it.

"Mhmm," Maura sighed, getting even closer if possible. "I know just the place we can go. It's perfect and _private_," Maura emphasized, smiling to herself in a way that Jane assumed was her way of indicating that she had indeed changed her mind.

Jane turned to she was facing Maura with a smile of her own now. She couldn't believe the things this woman was doing to her so seemingly effortlessly.

"Private sounds nice," Jane husked, closing the distance between Maura and herself.

Knowing consciously that the door had been shut, Jane didn't waste time in prying Maura's mouth open with her tongue. She wanted to taste everything that had been teasing her from the moment the honey blonde had walked into the room a few minutes before; wanted to explore more of the woman before her.

She ran her tongue lightly along Maura's bottom lip, practically begging for entrance where she could put everything out on the table. Jane marveled in the way Maura kissed her back with such seduction, she didn't even know where it came from. The only explanation Jane could come up with in her clouded mind was that Maura must have done her research, like always. She decided that everyone should research if it meant they would kiss her like this.

However, just as Jane's hand reached up and fondled Maura's right breast through her shirt, Maura pulled away.

Jane frowned, immediately put off by the smirking girl that was taking several spacious steps back. She wanted Maura's mouth back against her own, and she wanted it now. Jane couldn't fathom why she had broken the kiss when things were getting good.

"Jane, you're forgetting our agreement," Maura chided playfully.

Jane frowned even more, realizing that Maura was doing all of this to get her riled up, and it was working. "Really?" Jane asked in exasperation. She was growing tired if this supposed "agreement" already.

"I told you Jane, I can't lie," Maura smiled, tilting her head to the side as if she was completely innocent.

"But-," Jane began.

"No 'buts,' Jane. If you want these," Maura said as she gestured to her biggest weapons across her chest, "then you have to really want them."

As Maura began to head towards the office door, Jane's brain finally cleared up enough for her to form a proper sentence. "Wait, Maura. What happened to the 'good time' tonight?" Jane asked, hoping that wasn't just something she'd said to tease her.

"Right, we're still doing that. We have my family's private box at the Red Sox game all to ourselves," Maura said happily, having noticed that Jane was particularly fond of the baseball team. Maura clearly did not understand the implications of what she had said before.

Jane's eyes lit up at the sound of her favorite team name, and she almost forgot about the younger woman's deception.

"But-," Jane began, only to be cut off once more.

"You can pick me up at six," Maura spoke on her way out, not even giving Jane a chance to respond.

As the door closed behind her, Jane let out a huge breath she had been apparently holding. While it wasn't exactly the "good time" she had had in mind, being alone in a private box could have its benefits. Maybe Jane could give Maura a taste of her own medicine.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: *Ducks the million and a half things you all rightfully throw at me.* Okay, so I honestly did not mean to take so long to update. I know I don't owe you all a bunch of excuses for my busy life, so I won't bore you half to death with most of the details, but I graduate in less than a month. Right now, my attention span is akin to that of a peanut. Plus, I've been feeling very uninspired by Rizzles lately. Hopefully that will change with the new season, or at least the season 2 DVD!

If you're still with me, thanks a lot for the support. And to my lovely "Tormentor," thank you sincerely for continuing to remind me that I need to get my ass moving!

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><p>A few minutes before six, Jane pulled in to Maura's driveway. She sat in her car staring at the clock for a few moments, afraid to be late. Then she spent a few more minutes staring at the little flip-down mirror to make sure she looked all right. Finally, Jane spent a minute or two more contemplating if she was now too late and should just turn around.<p>

In all actuality, the option of leaving and going back to her life where things were okay with Dean and Maura didn't exist seemed pretty nice to the dark-haired teacher. A part of her longed for the ability to have things just be simple—or as close to simple as one can get while dating a senior FBI agent.

Of course, Jane had no real intentions of turning back. Had she never met Maura, she figured leaving would have been an easy enough thing to do. But the thing was, she had met Maura, and one look was all it took for her to become severely addicted to the younger woman.

Finally gathering the courage to not make Maura wait any longer, Jane opened her car door and made her way to the large front entryway of the Isles' household. Maybe it was her nerves for the impending evening, but Jane felt much smaller standing there than she had before. It was a curious feeling that her own logic couldn't seem to figure out.

She laughed at the thought that Maura would probably have some highly technical explanation, just like she probably knew of some medical reason for the butterflies Jane was feeling in her stomach. Not caring to know a real answer, Jane made the conscious decision to never bring it up in front of Maura.

"Hello, Jane," Maura answered sweetly as she opened her front door. Jane's jaw dropped like a broken hinge.

Maura was wearing a brilliantly complimenting blue dress that went down to a few inches above her knees. The style of the dress, cut in a very sophisticated way, made her appear closer to Jane's actual age, something the older woman figured she must have done on purpose at least somewhat consciously.

While the dress was elegant in its own right, the neckline still managed to dip down right between Maura's perky breasts. Jane felt herself staring and had to pull her eyes back up.

_Remember the plan,_ Jane thought to herself. She wasn't in it to be seduced by Maura again. No, this time it was Jane's turn to play hard.

"You look beautiful," Jane complimented. She felt a little underdressed in her tight jeans and Red-Sox jersey in comparison to Maura, and for a moment Jane wondered if she had misunderstood what the blonde had invited her to do.

"Thank you, Jane." Maura smiled sweetly, stepping out of her house. The fact that she didn't seem to need to finish anything told Jane that she had waited too long before coming to the door, and she momentarily wondered if perhaps Maura was upset about it. But of course, the younger woman probably would have told her if she was.

"I was here, early actually. I just didn't want to get out of my car," Jane stated, quickly slapping herself on the side of the head when Maura turned to stifle a giggle. It seemed that Jane's big mouth really wasn't going to help anything—simply make it worse.

"I see," Maura said in a curious tone. She didn't question Jane's reasoning or her statement, just simply stood and smiled at her in amusement.

Jane cleared her throat nervously. "Shall we?" She reached out and grabbed Maura's hand, quickly placing her hand at Maura's lower back when she was close enough to reach.

Let the games begin.

R&I R&I R&I R&I R&I

It didn't take long for them to arrive in Maura's private box at the game. At the sight of the area, Jane felt a flood of relief overcome her. While she hadn't wanted to admit it and risk losing out on the potentially great evening, Jane had been worried that they might be seen out together.

Technically, it wouldn't have been the end of the world, especially since Maura wouldn't let her really do anything, but anything that could cause speculation was something she wanted to avoid as much as possible.

"This is so cool, Maur!" Jane exclaimed as she looked around their little secluded box area. She had guessed from the extravagance of Maura's house that her family had money, but as an avid fan of the team, Jane was quite aware how much such a box would cost to own. Not that she cared about the money at all, in fact it made her slightly uncomfortable, but it really gave her an insight into a little of what Maura's life may have been like for her.

"I'm glad you like it, Jane," she spoke melodiously as she took her seat by the big protective window.

"I mean, really, though. You can come watch the game live whenever you want without having to deal with any annoying sweaty guys. Please tell me you come here every week?" Jane was almost euphoric with awe.

"Well, actually, this is the first time I've been in here," Maura stated truthfully.

At this, Jane's eyes felt like they might jump from her head completely.

"Really?"

"Mhmm," Maura replied easily, as if Jane wasn't reacting at all. "I just saw some Red-Sox things around your office and assumed you would like this."

Jane softened and forgot about every ill thought she was having towards Maura for neglecting such a treasured opportunity. Jane was beginning to realize how refreshing Maura's truthfulness could be sometimes.

"That was sweet of you," Jane said with a smile, sitting down in the chair to Maura's right.

Since the game had already begun, Jane pretended to put her attention on it, while it was really on Maura's reactions. About ten minutes into the game, she began her teasing strategy.

"Is it just me, or is it really hot in here," Jane husked. From previous lovers, Jane was well aware that her voice carried a certain quality of sex dripping with honey whenever she deepened it just a little more specifically. From the immediate look of desire in Maura's eyes, Jane could tell it was already working its magic.

Jane pulled off her favorite team Jersey to reveal a very low-cut tank top beneath. Jane may not have been as well endowed as Maura, but she certainly knew how to rock what she had when she wanted to. The silky fabric slid off her smooth skin like mineral water on a hot summer day.

"See something you like?" Jane husked when she noticed Maura's gaze locked on her.

_This is easier than I thought it would be._

For as composed as Maura could often be, she seemed to have completely different issues when it came to her desire for Jane.

Instead of answering, something that would only serve to further embarrass Maura, she tried to turn her attention back to the game. Jane shook her head, deciding that wouldn't do at all. She needed to torment Maura as much as she'd tormented her in the office earlier.

After some careful and strategic waiting, Jane finally found her chance to execute the next move. The Red-Sox scored a big hit, and she flung her arms up in the air out of excitement. However, instead of returning her hands to where they were, Jane let one fall to rest precariously high up Maura's leg. At the immediate contact, she felt the blonde jolt a little beneath her.

Jane's thumb found the hem of her dress and, easily locating the silky skin of her smooth leg, Jane began to rub small circles with her thumb. At this, Maura finally tore her gaze from the game and directly towards Jane.

"Jane," she warned, not very convincingly.

Jane decided to take the warning as merely a challenge and moved her head closer to Maura's until their faces were only a few inches apart. Jane could feel Maura's heavy breathing on her face.

Jane quickly closed the distance, bringing their lips together again. For the second time in the last hour, Jane was thankful for the seclusion of the box. She was slightly surprised by the force Maura used to kiss her back, not realizing just how much of an effect she had already had on the younger woman.

Jane, satisfied that she had Maura right where she wanted her, pulled away from the kiss with a husky sigh. "You know, Maura, you're the only one stopping this from continuing any further right now."

At this, Maura pulled away and a little of what Jane thought could be hurt flashed through her eyes. When she realized that her words had somehow offended the young genius, Jane immediately reached her hand out to her, only to be jerked away from.

"No, Jane. The only one keeping that from happening is you and your relationship with your fiancé. I already told you, I don't share." Maura stood from her seat and began to move to the door.

"Maura, where are you going?" Jane called out, clearly no longer intent on playing any more of her game for the night. She had gone too far with her little comment and she knew it.

"I think we both need to cool down. Please, stay and enjoy the rest of the game. I'll be back."

With that, Maura stepped outside, leaving a completely crushed and guilty Jane behind to think things over. Perhaps it was best to make her decision sooner than later.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: Okay, I know, I suck. You all have permission to hate me for taking so long. In honor of the season 2 DVD coming out today, here you go! I'd like to say you'll get an update soon, but it may not be until a day or two after the new season begins. I graduate June 6, so I'm pretty much booked solid with trying to tie things off until then. That you, lovelies, for all your support with this story!

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><p>Maura didn't hear from Jane all weekend—something she found herself almost relieved over. She didn't understand how one person could have such a strong effect over her. She poured through the pages of her numerous science books, but nothing seemed to explain the strange phenomenon. For the first time in her life, Maura Isles had found a problem that could not be solved with science.<p>

The honey blonde had considered talking to her main about it, but the risk of being caught doing something so against the rules was too much. Instead, she relied on Bass to be the silent listener she needed.

On Friday, after the game, Maura had called for the family car to pick her up from the game. She had free use of the car and driver whenever she pleased—no questions asked. When she got home, she'd immediately buried herself in her homework.

Of course, because Maura was probably the most proactive of the seniors in getting her work done, by Saturday she had nothing left to work on. She was done with her college applications—there was no need to write scholarship essays when she could easily afford college—so Maura found herself deep in a book on neuroscience.

By Sunday, Maura had thoroughly run out of things to do. She had no lessons, no schoolwork, and there weren't even any decent documentaries on. She had found herself inside her father's library, looking through his vast collection of medical books. One that caught her attention was about lungs, and seeing as Maura didn't know much about the organs, she was eager to read it.

One wouldn't think that reading about such a topic would evoke repressed feelings for another person, but somehow, as she stared at the picture of an inflated pair of healthy lungs, Maura had found her mind going to Jane.

Maura had reasoned that it was their beauty that reminded her of Jane; the way they resembled a perfectly pink butterfly that fluttered with each drawn breath. Maura always was a brain girl, finding each new neurological advancement to be absolutely fascinating, but for once Maura had found herself favoring the lungs.

Jane helped her breathe. And, as cheesy as it sounded in her head, as unrealistic as it felt logically, Maura knew it was the truth. She needed Jane to choose her.

So, when Monday rolled around, Maura had all but forgotten her anger towards Jane. For the first time since arriving in Boston, Maura actually found herself looking forward to gym class.

As she entered the gym, where only a few others had already begun to line up, Maura caught Jane's apologetic gaze. She knew instantly that the older woman hadn't meant to offend her at the game; it had simply been a game. Still, as she looked at Jane, Maura couldn't stop the images of those perky pink lungs from popping back into her head.

She so desperately wanted to say something to Jane, anything that could let the brunette know she was no longer mad, but Maura could not take the risk. No, the school was the one place they were off limits. Well, that and just about every other public place in the planet—but the school especially. Maura had it bad enough with the way her classmates spoke to her. If she even so much as appeared to know Jane any better than a typical new student should, they would never let up on her.

"We'll be beginning our tennis unit today, class," Jane spoke in her involuntarily deep voice. A loud groan could be heard from most of the girls—except Maura. For once, she actually knew how to play one of the sports they would be working on, and she was damn good at it. _Perhaps I can impress Jane,_ Maura mused to herself.

They girls were split into pairs, and Jane thankfully put Maura with one of the girls named Addison that didn't typically pay her much attention. In most circumstances, she would have hated being treated like she was made of cellophane, but it was a nice change from the harassment Maura had been receiving from the other girls.

"Have you played tennis before?" Maura tried as she waited with her silent partner to be assigned a net. She received nothing but silence, but Maura Isles wasn't one to give up easily—a fact that seemed to have its advantages and disadvantages.

"I took lessons at my old school, of course, I'm no expert in the activity, by any means," Maura continued. The other girl finally looked over at her, signaling that she did hear what was being said. However, the little chortle she gave also told Maura that she didn't especially care.

Maura made the conscious decision that it would be best to remain quiet for a while, and despite her disappointment, she directed her attention to taking in the appearance of this quiet girl. She had fiercely red long hair and almost grey-blue eyes. Addison was a few inches taller than Maura, but from the way she stood, Maura figured she wore heels just as often as she did. While she didn't overcrowd her face with every possible ounce of make-up, it was apparent that the other girl was well kept.

Maura thought she may have even looked a little familiar, but she couldn't exactly place where from. It was likely she hadn't attended her boarding school, and the only other place she met people was during her parents' brunches. She made a mental note to find out her family name later, perhaps from Jane.

The pair was finally assigned a net space across from another team, each with a racket in hand. The other team, who happened to be two of Paige's minions, was across the net with the ball to serve.

Jane had gone through the basics of the game before-hand, but it seemed that many of the teams around them were having trouble keeping the ball going after the serve. Taking a deep breath, Maura brought her mind back to every tennis lesson she'd ever attended and consciously chose to do her best like and Isles always did.

WHACK!

Maura hit the serve back with perfect poise and immediately got the other, slightly shocked, team out. Those who had seen it stood slightly shocked, including Jane, all used to Maura's somewhat clumsy athletic ability.

"Good work, Isles," Jane called. Maura was nervous that Jane had called her out in front of her classmates, but as she looked around she realized they thought nothing of it. She just smirked a little to herself and caught the ball being rolled to her to serve back.

Maura continued to impress throughout class, all the while hoping that Jane's eyes were on her. She wanted Jane to see the athletic side of her, hoped that she would enjoy watching it a little more than when Maura had attempted to play basketball.

After the game, Maura still looked completely put together. Her partner reached up a hand to wipe a small glisten of sweat from her forehead, but to the outsider it would have appeared that Maura hadn't played at all. Just as she was about to head back to the locker room to change, an unfamiliar voice called out to her.

"Hey, Maura," Addison called, moving quickly to keep up with the honey blonde. Maura turned around to see who it could be.

Maura was surprised, to say the least. It was only about an hour ago that she had been trying to get the girl to say anything, and now she was trying to initiate something? From her prior experience with the girls of her new school Maura braced herself for whatever insult was coming.

"Good game," Addison said, shocking the young genius even further.

"Thanks, you too," Maura politely responded, still waiting for something to not go her way.

"Addison Forbes Montgomery," the red-head stuck her hand out elegantly, and Maura marveled at the gesture. She immediately recognized the name as one of great honor among the elite.

"Maura Isles," Maura responded, taking the other girl's outstretched hand in a firm but gentle shake.

"You just moved here, right?" Addison inquired.

"I did," Maura answered nervously. Usually this was the part where people decided to walk away, not wanting to be associated with the quirky new girl. "Well, sort of. I'm from Boston, but I was abroad in France to attend boarding school."

"That's cool. I had to practically beg my parents not to send me there," Addison chucked, slowly walking towards the locker room once she noticed Maura was following.

Maura could feel Jane watching her interaction from the corner of her eye, and remembered her plans to go speak to the older woman once everyone else was gone.

"Say, Maura, do you have any plans for the rest of today?" Addison asked with a hint of suggestion in her tone.

Maura wasn't sure how to respond. She couldn't lie, it was physically impossible, but she also couldn't tell Addison the truth about what she wanted to do. She found herself in a predicament that even science couldn't really get her out of.

"Why do you ask?" She tried, knowing that it wasn't a lie if she didn't directly answer the question.

"I was hoping you'd like to go get coffee. I know this great little place a few streets over, and it seems we have a lot more in common than I thought." Maura figured Addison was referring to their families' high places in the social ladder.

Maura desperately wanted to say yes; she really did need to make at least one friend her own age. Of course, then she wouldn't be able to speak with Jane like she'd planned to. Chancing a glance in the brunette's direction, Maura noticed her eyes were almost intensely on her. This angered the honey blonde.

Normally she would have loved the way Jane watched her, but it could easily draw unwanted attention. Between that and the way Jane had behaved at the game, Maura felt her rage towards the older woman begin to grow once more.

"I'd love to," Maura responded, chancing one quick glare in Jane's direction as they turned into the door that led down to where the lockers were held.

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><p>Don't hate me! Haha, some of you may have noticed that I sort of borrowed Addison from GA and PPP, but don't worry. You won't need to know anything about her at all from those shows, I just adore her and for some reason decided to include a new little twist.<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: I know, I know, I suck at updating, but I did warn you it would be a while. First I had graduation, then I went on a little vacation for a while to kick-off summer. That, topped with my lack of Rizzles inspiration, has kept me from being able to write this, but now that Rizzles is back and on good terms, I found my Rizzles love again. I'm glad most of you seemed to love Addison as much as I do, though that did make this a very hard chapter to write- I'm not sure if I like it or not. I found that I do like the idea of Addison and Maura together a little (not more than Rizzles, of course) so maybe that's a future story idea. Anyways...

Who is excited for RizzlesCon?

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><p>"And she actually had the nerve to show up at their Anniversary party!" Addison exclaimed as she finished up filling Maura in on the latest gossip from within their common circles. Maura was captivated by the confidence that just seemed to radiate off the red-head as they sipped their lattes in the roomy yet secluded café.<p>

"To think I missed all this for a less-than-friendly boarding school in France," Maura mused. She did love her old boarding school, in some aspects, but the more she talked with Addison, the more she realized just how much she had missed.

"Exactly the reason I chose to stick around. You can't make this stuff up." Addison laughed. Maura tried to laugh along but soon found her expression falling flat—her gaze drifted down to her hand delicately sprawled out on the table in front of her.

"What's wrong?" Addison asked, tilting her head in a concerned manner. The pair was beginning to grow more comfortable together, especially since this was the third time they'd gotten coffee together in a week. It seemed that every time Maura wanted to avoid Jane, she ended up somewhere with Addison. The logical part of her brain told her it was merely a psychological means of replacing what she really wanted; she knew it wasn't exactly a healthy behavior. Differentially, the irrational part of her, the part that only wanted to be with Jane, found the substitution helpful for the time being.

"It's nothing, really. I just… sometimes I feel like I missed out on something," Maura confessed.

Slyly, Addison reached a soft hand across the table to rest atop Maura's in a comforting motion. "What, like absent parents and a pain-in-the-ass brother who spends all his time sleeping around? Trust me, you didn't miss out on very much. At least you were around people who got it. If you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly surrounded by friends at school," Addison confessed to Maura, her hand beginning to rub circles on the top of the blonde's hand.

"Because your wealth makes them uncomfortable?" Maura inquired, struggling to find a reason that the red-head didn't have more friends, despite her current advancements that were beginning to make Maura feel a bit uncomfortable.

Addison just chuckled in response. "I'm sure that's part of it, but also because most people who don't live like us have trouble understanding why making an appearance at some charity gala is more important than attending some small Sweet Sixteen or whatever. After a while, they just stop trying," Addison said with an almost bitter quality to her voice.

"I'm sorry," Maura said, a little unsure. She wasn't very good at consoling others since she'd never had much practice. Maura was beginning to realize that Addison had a bit of a "blurty" personality—she was very open about her life almost immediately. She supposed that was what friends were supposed to be like.

"That's why I like you, Maura. You get me in ways other girls can't." Addison's eyes bore straight into Maura's and she lifted the blonde's hand between her own slender fingers.

Maura had been wondering if she was simply misreading social cues, but she finally realized that Addison was definitely coming on to her. She wasn't sure what to make of it, especially since she didn't even know where things stood with Jane. Unsure what she was supposed to do in her current situation, Maura just smiled back loosely.

Then, as if time were against her, Jane picked that moment to enter the coffee shop. Addison was sitting with her back towards the door, but across from her Maura had a clear view of Jane as she strutted it. For a brief moment, their eyes connected before Maura turned her attention back to Addison.

"Excuse me for a quick moment," Maura said distractedly as she got up to head towards the restroom knowing perfectly well that Jane would follow. Sure enough, a moment later Jane pushed through the door to find Maura standing in front of a sink, running a hand through her curls nervously.

"Did you follow me here?" the blonde asked immediately once she knew she was alone in the room with Jane.

"Excuse me?" Jane asked, apparently taken back by the question. Her jaw dropped slightly and her stance changed to one of a more defensive nature—arms crossed against her chest, head held high so she could look down even more than usual.

"I mean, honestly, Jane. You have Dean, so why are you so against me trying to meet someone else?" Maura didn't know what she was saying, or why she was saying it to Jane. She wanted Jane, with every fiber of her being, yet suddenly she wanted Jane to think she was interested in Addison? Her reasoning had no logic, but Maura knew that what she was saying was true.

What right did Jane have to dictate anything about her life when she still had a fiancé?

"Maura, I'm not against you making friends, but Addison…"

"Oh, so you do have a problem with her. Is that why you followed me, Jane?" Maura asked, her face growing a tint of red with misplaced anger.

"It wasn't intentional but, Maura, I'm just worried about you," Jane tried to explain.

"Despite how you might see me, Jane, I am perfectly capable of making choices for myself. I don't need you protecting me!" Maura stormed out of the restroom, leaving Jane behind to process what had just happened. It seemed that Jane's appearance had led to the disappearance of any rationality she had left in her.

Maura spotted Addison still at their table checking a text or something on her phone and took her seat back across from her. As if on cue, Jane exited the restroom and looked right at Maura pleadingly. Still angry with Jane for following her, Maura did the first thing her instincts told her to.

She looked at Jane purposefully before leaning across the table and pulling Addison in for a kiss. As Maura pulled away, she caught sight of a hurt-looking Jane fleeing the establishment and a smiling red-head looking at her with what Maura guessed was happy surprise.

Allowing her mind to mull over her actions from the last several minutes, Maura realized that kissing Addison may not have been the best decision. Now she had two women to explain herself to, and one of them was sitting across from her looking quite pleased with the turn of events.

"I have to go," Maura said suddenly, standing up in a panic. She needed to go somewhere she could think; a place where there were no tantalizing red-heads or rage-provoking dark-haired beauties.

"Maura… wait!" Addison called, coming out of her little happy bubble for a moment when she noticed Maura was leaving.

"Sorry," Maura managed to mumble before tearing out the front door of the café and not looking back once.

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Jane didn't know how she was supposed to feel, but her mind and body seemed to be aligned on feeling hurt and angry for the moment. Where did Maura get off kissing some other girl right in front of her as if everything they had didn't even exist?

Although, Jane reasoned, she couldn't have been too mad since she was currently standing on Maura's front porch knocking on the door. Perhaps all she needed was a little boost of jealously.

Maura opened her front door slowly, her face showing surprise at seeing Jane on the other side.

"You're right, I shouldn't have followed you," Jane admitted, going in a completely different direction than she had planned. She had gone to Maura's house with the intention of fighting; she had had the desire to tell Maura exactly how she felt. Not anymore apparently.

Maura sighed, stepping aside to allow Jane access into her home. Jane took that as her cue to walk in and turn to Maura as soon as the door was closed. The feelings she had been fighting off with Maura's absence all week seemed to hit her full force as she took in the appearance of the blonde in front of her.

Maura was in sweatpants and a loose-fitting tank top with no heels giving her any extra height, but it didn't matter—Jane still found her absolutely irresistible. She was somehow a combination of pure, adorable, and sexy all wrapped into one package. Jane couldn't hold back any longer.

She lunged forward, knocking Maura against the wall as her lips caught those of the younger woman in a passionate kiss. So much for talking things out.

"I'm sorry, Jane," Maura managed to get out between kisses. "Shouldn't… have k-… kissed Addison." Jane could barely catch her own breath as she listened to Maura's broken sentences. "You… you're the… only one… I want to… be with," Maura finished.

Jane smirked into Maura lips, having all but forgotten about Addison. Whatever Maura's reasoning was, she didn't want to know. It had worked for them, and that seemed to be all that mattered. Jane was a little surprised, though, that Maura wanted her over the girl. After all, Addison was from the same age and social class as Maura. She could give her things that Jane knew she never would probably be able to, yet Maura seemed willing to give that all up without a second thought just to be with Jane.

It struck her that she should be able to do the same.

Jane pulled back from her frenzied attack of kisses and held Maura's head between her hands, making sure the younger woman's gaze was locked on hers.

"Dean gets home this weekend," Jane stated, noticing how the mention of his name caused a flicker of something to loom deep within Maura's eyes. "I'll tell him it's over."

At this, Maura visibly perked up. "You will?" she asked in innocent surprise.

"You're right, Maur. I want you, too."

Maura simply smiled and pulled Jane to her, this time being the one in control of their kiss. For the moment, everything just felt right. She put off all thoughts of the consequences and the things they would both have to do if they really wanted this. For one night, Maura just wanted to be content with them.

They could worry about what to do with Addison and Dean tomorrow.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: You all have permission to throw things at me for taking so long. This was a hard chapter to write, in my defense, and my own personal happenings did not make it any easier! Anyways, if I don't get an update up before RizzlesCon (Since I leave for LA to spend a week in Cali on before-hand this weekend) I hope to see you all there! Otherwise, enjoy =]

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><p>When Dean returned home from his "need to know" case, it was to find his fiancé sitting at the kitchen table doing what appeared to be an act as simple as reading a book. Her gaze was focused on the page, perhaps zeroed in on a specific punctuation mark, but her pupils didn't scan the words on the page—they remained fixated on that one spot. Jane knew he was there; even if she hadn't heard him enter, she would still have smelt the mix of smoke and cologne all over him.<p>

He wordlessly walked past her towards the refrigerator, patting her on the shoulder as if that would substitute some sort of greeting. Surprisingly, despite how long he'd been gone, Jane didn't find herself caring. Normally she would have been mad that all he deemed her worthy of was a little pat, but now she was almost relieved it hadn't been more than that.

The familiar sound of the refrigerator opening and closing, following by a beer can opening, reached Jane's ears. She really didn't want him to be drinking before their conversation, but rationalized that it might help soften the blow for him a little.

Dean didn't seem to notice that Jane wasn't actually reading the book as he walked back over towards the table while taking a long gulp of his poison, and for a moment she wondered if he noticed many of the things she did. Did he know that she always ordered pepperoni on pizza, then picked it off and fed it to Jo, completely disliking the actual meat herself? Did he notice that, even though she hated doing girly things, Jane always twirled her hair when she was nervous? Did he even realize that she always sat in this exact same position every time they needed to have a serious talk?

_Maura would notice all of these things,_ Jane thought. It was just further confirmation that she needed to get this over with.

"How was D.C.?" Jane broke the silence.

"Typical," he answered shortly, going in for another swig of beer. Jane was used to being brushed off whenever the conversation went to his work, but somehow it felt like the only safe topic at the moment.

"Need to know?" she asked, not actually needing an answer.

Dean nodded, his gaze looking to the side. If Jane hadn't heard the same sentence over and over, she may have thought he was showing signs of guilt. Heck, maybe he even was, but Jane didn't need to hear it.

"How long are you back for?" she asked dryly.

After a moment of hesitation, Dean sighed and looked up at Jane. "They need me in Portland tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!" Jane exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears.

Dean reached out a hand to try and comfort her, but Jane just cringed away as she blinked back the tears. This was going to be harder than she thought. Jane had anticipated having time to prepare her words, but the limited time was leaving her no choice.

"Jane, there's nothing I can do…" Dean trailed off.

Despite his frequent absence and inability to distinguish between personal life and work, Jane had to admit that he did have some good qualities. She had loved him enough to be willing to marry him, after all. Jane had to wonder for a moment if she still didn't, but when his mere touch on her arm felt foreign, she knew it was the right choice.

Her heart no longer belonged to Gabriel Dean.

"This isn't working, Gabriel," Jane spoke, the words tasting bitter in her mouth.

"Jane, you know I can't help where they send me."

"No, not that. Well, that's not entirely it. I mean we aren't working," Jane confessed.

They both sat in silence for a moment, Dean with a stoic face and Jane wondering what he was thinking while she waited for some sort of response. After about a minute, but what actually felt like much longer, he finally seemed to decide on something.

"What does that mean?" he asked carefully.

Jane sighed, looking the man she had once intended to spend her life with directly in the eyes. "It means that I can't marry you."

"Because of one case?" Dean's tone was beginning to break to one of exasperation.

"No, Gabriel, it's not just one case. Even when you actually are here, it's like you aren't," Jane said with a strained voice.

"Is there anything I can do to fix this? You can't just be giving up on us that easily, Jane," Gabriel tried almost desperately.

"There's nothing," Jane spoke flatly.

"I don't understand. You knew going into this what my work entailed, but you said you didn't care."

"Things change, Gabriel."

The silence returned, this time with both lost in their own thoughts. Jane knew what he said was true; she had promised that she didn't care how demanding his job was. She had been deeply wrong.

For a moment, Jane allowed her mind to wander to how Maura was doing with Addison. She knew the honey blonde had set up a meeting to just get it over with, and suddenly she wished she could be as committed to being together as Maura was. Jane wished getting rid of Dean could be an easier task, but throwing the life she'd thought she'd be living away wasn't as easy as she had hoped it would be.

Even as the words left Jane's mouth, a part of her wished they weren't true. They had drifted apart, though, and even without Maura, Jane knew this was inevitable.

"Is there someone else, Jane?" he asked suddenly, causing her mind to shoot right back to the present.

"Excuse me?" she asked, wondering if she'd heard correctly. Jane had thought her and Maura were quite discreet.

"Is there another man? Is that why you're doing this?"

Jane hesitated, knowing the truth was completely off limits. "There's no other man," Jane finally said, minding the fact that it wasn't a total lie. "I'm doing this because we aren't working, Dean. I know you see it too, even if you don't want to."

Slowly, the brunette pulled off her dazzling engagement ring that seemed to have lost a bit of shine and set it on the table in front of her once-fiancé. Jane stood up, heading over to the door.

"Where are you going?" Dean nearly shouted, shocked that she was just walking away.

"I need space, so until we figure out what to do about the apartment, I guess I'll stay with my mother. Or at least until you go to Portland."

"Jane, please," Dean pleaded, something she'd never seen him do before.

Deciding if she stayed another moment her resolve could very possibly weaken, Jane grabbed her purse and Jo Friday and shut the door behind her.

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Maura sat alone at a bench in the middle of Beacon Park, resisting the urge to fidget her thumbs. She'd read enough books on psychology to know that was a very widely-used nervous habit—along with hair-twirling, nail-biting, and pacing—and Maura was not about to fall victim to it. Instead, she concentrated on her breathing, trying to even it out so she wouldn't appear anxious when the red-head arrived.

She had invited Addison to meet her at the park, knowing she certainly had some explaining to do. It would be easy for Maura to tell her the truth; not that lying was an option if she wanted to avoid hives. The problem was, Maura knew she couldn't exactly tell Addison the whole truth. The honey blonde felt bad that she had led Addison on in the first place, but the thought that she would probably not be able to come up with a reasonable excuse made her feel worse.

"Hey," Addison called, raising a hand in a slight wave as she approached the bench Maura was sitting on.

"Hello," Maura greeted, motioning for the other girl to take a seat next to her. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Addie."

"Of course," Addison smiled. "I thought that, after the park, if you aren't busy, maybe you'd like to come to my brother's party at my place."

Maura smiled, covering the internal struggle she was dealing with. Addison looked so happy, and though it had only been one kiss, she knew the moment she let her reasoning for wanting to meet slip, that smile would be gone.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Maura said carefully, looking slightly to Addison's left.

"Okay, you're probably right. Archer's known for letting things get way too out of control. Besides, he'd definitely hit on you," Addison mused.

"He would?" Maura asked, momentarily forgetting her plan and suddenly more curious about why a male she showed no physical interest in would want to 'hit on' her. "Why do you say that?"

Addison, mistaking Maura's budding curiosity for flirtatious compliment-fishing, moved closer before responding. "While my brother is considered a bit of a womanizer, I think anyone would be crazy not to hit on you, Maura. You're beautiful."

Whether it was the words or the sudden close-contact of the red-head, Maura suddenly realized what was happening and politely leaned away.

"Addison, about the other day," Maura began.

"What about it?" Addison asked. Maura knew her face had taken on a serious expression, so she wasn't surprised to see Addison playing with her ruby ring with her fingers—reminding Maura, once again, of nervous habits. The red-head leaned closer and winked suggestively at the honey blonde, as if trying to quell any nerves with flirting.

"When I kissed you, I shouldn't have done that. That's why I asked you to come here. I want to apologize," Maura confessed, ripping off the band-aid that holds together teenage hormones.

"Wh—I—apologize? You don't need to apologize for that, Maura," Addison said, confusion apparent in her voice.

"I don't?" Maura asked wearily.

"No, of course not. I wanted you to kiss me," Addison blatantly said, smiling sweetly at the genius.

Maura cringed, not liking how this discussion was going. "No, you don't understand. I shouldn't have kissed you, Addie. It was wrong of me to lead you on like that."

"Lead me on? You mean you regret it?" Addison asked, her voice beginning to rise to a level that was surely heard by passersby.

"For lack of a better word, yes," Maura answered with an apologetic look on her face.

"Is it because I'm a woman?" Addison inquired.

"No," Maura spoke simply, hoping not to further divulge.

Addison stood up, beginning to back away slowly, her eyes tearing up. "I am Addison Forbes Montgomery. People don't just kiss me and regret it, Maura. I am a damned good kisser," Addison spoke as firmly as possible, while her natural demeanor made it hard for Maura to find her words the least bit intimidating. In another situation, she may have found the defense to be quite adorable.

Maura, not wanting to cause the other girl further insult, simply nodded her head and looked down. Addison, however, wasn't going to accept this as a response.

"Why did you kiss me then, Maura?" Addison near-shouted.

"I… I was confused," Maura said honestly. She just didn't mention the source of her confusion.

"About what?" Addison asked, almost exasperated.

Maura stood up, moving closer so she wouldn't have to shout as well. "Addison, I think you're a great person, but there's someone else," Maura said, deciding to just get the truth out there.

"Oh," the red-head stated sadly, her resolve melting away.

"I didn't mean to lead you on like that. I just wanted to apologize to you. I do hope we can still be friends," Maura said sincerely, resting a hand on Addison's upper arm in attempt to comfort her.

Addison, however, shrugged out of the touch and looked away. "I don't know, Maura," she said, shaking her head to try and ward off tears. "I just… I need a little space right now."

With that, Addison walked away, leaving Maura feeling lighter without a giant weight on her shoulders, but hurt that she may have potentially lost her friend.

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Later the same day, Maura was relaxing in chair by her pool with a book she found particularly fascinating on forensic anthropology, when she heard her maid clear her throat.

"You have a visitor, Miss Isles."

Confused, Maura looked up, only to see a smiling Jane Rizzoli there, much to her delight. After her encounter with Addison, Maura had come home and tried to take her mind of things by immersing herself in anything distracting she could think of. Jane would definitely help.

"Thank you, Martha. You may have the rest of the night off and go home early." Maura excused her maid, hoping for some privacy with Jane.

"Thank you, Miss Isles," Martha said kindly, though she gave the young girl a strange look for her choice of company on the way out.

"Oh, may I join you, Miss Isles?" Jane asked sarcastically, finding it hilarious that Maura was referred to so formally in her own home.

"Perhaps." Maura pretended to think.

Jane just laughed, taking a seat in the chair next to Maura. After glancing around to see that they were truly alone, she decided to share the good news.

"I broke off my engagement."

Maura's eyes widened in surprise, despite the fact that she had expected Jane to eventually do so. "Really?" she asked with a smile.

"Yup, so you're stuck with me now," Jane joked.

"Hmm, well seeing as Addison wasn't very happy to learn my interest lies elsewhere, I suppose I can handle that." Maura smiled. "How does ordering in and watching a movie sound?"

Jane's face fell, and Maura tilted her head in concern. "Oh, did you have other plans?"

"No, I just have Jo Friday, my dog, in the car. I was on my way to my Ma's house with her, since I didn't think it would be right to stay in my apartment with Dean," Jane explained.

"Oh, right. Well, you both could stay here, if you like," Maura offered.

"That's very kind of you, Maur, but don't you think all those people around here might find that a bit odd?" Jane reasoned.

Maura's face fell. "Oh, that's true. I suppose that wouldn't be a good idea until I can think of a reasonable explanation for your presence."

"Exactly," Jane said as she stood up from her chair. "But if you aren't busy tomorrow, that sounds like a great plan."

"Okay." Maura's smile beamed once more.

"As long as by 'order in' you mean pizza and by 'movie' you mean an actual movie," Jane added, looking at Maura accusingly.

The younger girl just laughed, nodding to let Jane know that would be acceptable.

"Great, I'll see you then," Jane said, starting to head back out before she remembered something.

"I almost forgot." Jane leaned over Maura's chair, capturing the blonde's lips with her own. "I kinda love that we can do that now without feeling guilty."

"I kind of love that, too," Maura admitted, pulling her in for one more.

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><p>AN 2: So I'm going to be somehow putting Angela in here. I'm not sure that this will be a whole lot longer, but I do have an idea. Is there anyone else you would like to see added in?


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: I'm back! I'm just going to be honest right now- I'm really beginning to dislike this story. That's pretty typical of things I write for me, though. I still fully intend to finish it, just not quite as efficiently as some of you may like. I just posted a one-shot last night called "Freudian Wedding" that I'm thinking of continuing, though, so check it out! I guess I got more into this chapter than I thought, because it ended up being about twice as long as I originally intended. Enjoy!

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><p>Jane woke up, only to find a pair of eyes watching her quite intensely. Unused to the startling image, Jane jumped, half rolling off the couch to the floor in the process. A second later, her vision adjusted enough to realize just who those eyes belonged to; she let out heavy sigh.<p>

"Ma! What the hell?"Jane yelled, putting a hand to her heavily-beating heart.

Angela Rizzoli simply rolled her eyes, expressing distaste at Jane's choice of words but choosing not to mention it for the moment. "I was just waiting for you to wake up, Janie."

"And you couldn't do that from a little further away?" Jane asked in disbelief. She was beginning to wish she had taken Maura up on her offer.

Angela just laughed lightly, giving Jane a look to tell her there was more to her sitting there besides giving her daughter a heart attack. Jane considered probing to see what it was, but she knew her mother would tell her. She needed to get out of there—fast.

"Well, I need to get going. I have… papers to grade," Jane lied, already standing up.

"Janie, wait! I realized you didn't want to talk about it last night, but why did you stay here? Not that I mind, you can always stay." Angela was looking at Jane with a concerned expression, and she knew she was far from getting away anytime soon.

Angela was always trying to get Jane and her brothers to spend time at home, especially since she had split up with her husband Frank Sr. Jane pitied her mother's sudden loneliness, and often made an effort to come over on Sundays for a family dinner; otherwise she had to feel the guilt instilled in her since day one over all her mother had done for her.

"Ma, it's not important. I just didn't want to stay where Dean was," Jane replied, rushing the end of her words in hope that Angela wouldn't notice. Unfortunately for the curly-haired gym teacher, she did.

"Why not? Did you two have a fight?" Angela asked, concerned.

"Somethin' like that," Jane mumbled, lifting her arms to stretch after a long restless night on the Rizzoli family couch. She'd watched countless games on it with her brothers, but somehow trying to get a night of rest on it wasn't quite the same.

"What do you mean? Jane Clementine Rizzoli, if you did something to that poor man you better go apologize!" Angela ordered.

Jane groaned. "Ma, it's not like that this time." The brunette looked over at her mother, silently debating whether or not she should tell her the truth. Jane was sure her mother would be livid—she'd been waiting for Jane to get married since the day she'd looked down at the positive pregnancy test.

"Then what is it like?"

Jane looked her mother in the eye, giving her the look she always had when she was in trouble as a child. "I broke off our engagement, Ma," Jane said carefully.

Angela looked stunned by this news, putting a hand to her heart dramatically. "I don't understand. He was _perfect_ for you. Now how are you going to find a husband and have a family? You won't be this young forever."

"He wasn't perfect for me. This was my choice, Ma." Jane sighed.

"Did he cheat on you?" Angela asked, rage suddenly taking over her demeanor. Jane regretted ever bringing the up the split, but she figured it was best to explain to her mother sooner than later. Besides, she knew she'd eventually have to tell her mother about Maura, and while certain details could be left out, the lack of natural reproduction capabilities between them would surely set her off again at first.

"No, Ma. Just, please leave it alone for now. It's over. I'm not changing my mind about this."

Angela let out a frustrated sigh, but seemed to acquiesce for the time being. She left Jane alone, presumably to go finish making breakfast, but Jane didn't want to stick around long enough to find out. The brunette walked to her old childhood room, which she had refused to sleep in because it still contained her princess canopy bed that Angela just couldn't seem to part with, and went to the dresser where she kept a few spare items of clothing. Settling on a pair of form-fitting jeans and a white t-shirt from her limited variety, Jane changed as quickly as possible and headed towards the front door.

"Jane, where are you going? I made bunny pancakes," Angela bellowed, causing Jane to stop right as she reached the front door.

"I already have plans for breakfast," Jane lied, just wanting to get away from her mother's inquiring attitude. "Would it be okay if Jo Friday stays here for a few hours?"

"Sure, Janie," Angela called from the kitchen. Before the lecture on how Jane shouldn't have a dog if she wasn't going to be responsible for it came, Jane was out the door practically shuffling down the hallway.

R&I R&I R&I R&I R&I R&I

When Maura's doorbell rang at 9 AM, she was surprised that someone was visiting her—especially so early in the day. She was still the only one home; her mother was at an art show in France for a few days and her father had business in Milan for at least another month. She had assumed it was common knowledge that they wouldn't be home, but was nevertheless pleased that her early-morning schedule had given her time to get ready for the day first. She did have an appearance to keep up, after all.

She wasn't expecting to find the smiling brunette standing at the other side of the door, and a pleasant smile of relief washed across her face at the sight. "Good morning, Jane."

"Hey. I know it's kinda early, but I brought coffee." Jane gave her a big cheesy grin as she held out the two Starbucks cups.

"Well, I was going to send you away, but how could I say no to coffee," Maura joked. Jane's hands still held the coffee, but she stepped between the lanky arms to meet Jane face to face. Not in her heels yet for the day, Maura stretched up to her tip-toes and planted a welcoming kiss on the brunette's lips. They stood on the porch for a second, lips meshing together, until Jane felt Maura's tongue practically pleading for access. Who was she to say no?

"Yes, that's just what I needed." Maura sighed as they pulled apart after a minute or two.

As the dark blonde turned and walked back inside in one swift movement, Jane took a moment to admire her shapely figure before following with the two coffee cups still in tow. Having already gotten used to Maura's extensive lifestyle, Jane just half-hazardly kicked off her shoes, clunked the coffee cups down on the closest coffee table, and sprawled out onto Maura's couch with a loud huff.

"My mother was driving me insane," Jane groaned.

"Ah, is that why I'm being treated to this morning visit? I thought it was a bit early for our pizza date," Maura joked. She took a seat in the small space left between Jane's head and the right couch arm, but seemed to fit perfectly.

"That, and I wanted to see your beautiful face," Jane grinned again, eliciting a laugh from the younger girl.

"Well, you keep that up and you might not be able to get rid of my face," she teased back. The two burst out into laughter, neither caring what the other thought for a moment. As the laughter died down, Maura moved her hand to run her fingers through Jane's thick curls. "She couldn't have been that awful," Maura spoke, alluding to Jane's aforementioned mother.

"She kept asking me questions about Dean." Jane sighed, rubbing her face with both hands tiredly. "I literally woke up to her staring at me," the brunette complained.

"Oh, Jane," Maura laughed, "she just cares about you." Had Jane been looking, she would have seen the distant look take over Maura's eyes.

"Yea, well, I wish she'd stop," Jane joked.

"Don't say that, Jane. It must be nice." Hearing the hint of sadness in her girlfriend's voice, Jane sat up and actually looked at her this time.

"Oh, Maur, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" Not quite knowing what to do, Jane just rested a hand on Maura's knee and waited for some sort of further reaction.

"It's okay, really. I've accepted long ago that they are just distant people. They care in their own ways," Maura asserted with a smile. Jane looked at her hesitantly, but once she was sure Maura meant her words, she relaxed back against the couch a little.

"Here, non-fat skinny vanilla latte with a hint of cinnamon—just for you," Jane said as she handed the smiling dark blonde her cup of coffee. "Although, I think you could certainly do fine with an extra-fat one."

Laughter bubbled out of Maura as she graciously accepted the offered coffee, her approval noted with a quiet hum of pleasure after the first sip. "Mmm, this is really yummy." She pointed to the cup in her hand, as if it hadn't been obvious what she was referring to.

"Yummy? Since when does the talking Google use words like 'yummy'?" Jane inquired with feign seriousness.

"I don't only speak 'Google' you know," Maura smiled coyly.

This elicited another stream of laughter from Jane, who almost spilt her own black coffee in the process. "So, what should we do today?" Jane asked.

"Well, I wasn't planning much until this evening, but I suppose we could go for a swim." Maura winked.

Jane's face lit up at the idea, until she realized she had no swimsuit and frowned instead. "I don't have anything to swim in with me."

"That's okay," Maura said innocently, but Jane's eyes widened at the unintentionally implied idea.

"Maura! Don't you think it's a bit quick, not to mention risky, to go skinny-dipping," the brunette practically shrieked.

"Jane, I meant that you could borrow one of my suits," Maura elaborated, giving Jane's heart rate a chance to climb back down to normal. Although, the more she thought about it, the more she was beginning to like the idea of going without any apparel. Sensing Jane's discomfort at the idea, Maura shook it quickly from her thoughts and smiled over at her girlfriend.

Jane looked to the side with a blush, and Maura titled her head in confusion. "Uh, Maura, no offense, but something tells me a top that fits you isn't exactly going to fit me," Jane said in embarrassment. She gestured to her own smaller chest, then to Maura's abundant one.

"Hmm, I see your point. Don't worry, I think I can still find something for you." Maura smiled, standing to head upstairs. What she left out was the fact that the suit belonged to her mother. She figured the woman wouldn't mind, but knew that Jane might be slightly freaked out by the thought that she shared a common body type with her girlfriend's mother.

While Maura was upstairs, Jane took a moment to just sit in the peace and quiet with her coffee. The rich flavor on her tongue was just what her senses needed after the morning she'd been so surprised with. Now, she had a full day ahead of her to just relax with Maura.

*Ding, dong*

Jane groaned at the sound she presumed to be Maura's doorbell. Of course she wouldn't be able to relax. Why was she so surprised?

"Jane," Maura called down the stairs. "Can you get that? It's probably the UPS guy with some of my mother's artwork."

"Uh, sure thing!" Jane yelled back. While the idea of moving didn't exactly appease her, she knew she had to now that Maura had asked. She was beginning to think Maura could get her to do just about anything.

What she wasn't expecting even more, as she trudged over to the door with her coffee still in hand, was who she was about to come face to face with.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: I think this chapter makes it quite obvious that I hate Dean. XD Also, would any of you like a nice fluffy chapter next? I think one's coming.

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><p>"Dean?" Jane breathed in horror. She instantly regretted feeling free enough in Maura's home to open the door. True, it was easy to assume that any rare visitor to the Isles estate wouldn't even know she was Maura's teacher—she was new to the job and rarely had any students from around Beacon Hill. Unfortunately for Jane, just about the worst possibility had arrived.<p>

"So this is why you left me," Dead stated coldly.

She stood still, afraid to move and unsure of what to say that could possibly help the situation. Jane had so many questions. How much did he know? Why was he here? Was he following her? What was he going to do? Unfortunately, asking any of her questions would only help her further incriminate herself. Logically speaking, Jane had to reason to feel guilty. She was no longer his to claim, and he knew that. However, the fact that she had only broken things off less than a day previously was definitely weighing heavy on her shoulders.

"I—Uh…" Jane didn't get the chance to finish, for a certain dark blonde chose that precise moment to walk down the stairs, completely oblivious to what was going on at her front door.

"Jane, this may be a bit snug, but I think it should do the job." Maura came barreling around the corner with the mentioned bikini in hand, barely covered by her own. Jane had to pick her jaw off the floor and cringe—there would be time for ogling later, hopefully. Unfortunately for the present, Dean was getting a nice eyeful of her girlfriend, and she was pretty sure it was just making things worse. Maura, still naive to the incoming onslaught of drama, stopped in the doorway to eye her unexpected visitor.

"Oh, did you need me to sign?" she asked innocently, assuming Dean must have just been there to deliver something her mother. "They usually just leave whatever it is. She must have purchased something extraordinary this time."

Dean looked flabbergasted and Jane groaned, drawing Maura's attention over to the dark-haired woman. "What is it?" she asked in concern, tilting her head and raising a curious eye brow. Maura, thinking nothing of it, placed a hand on Jane's arm, and was surprised when the older woman immediately pulled back.

"This isn't a delivery boy." Jane cleared her throat. "This is Gabriel Dean, my ex-fiancé," she clarified.

"Oh." Maura pursed her lips, turning in her place to size him up accordingly. Her curiosity to see the infamous man was certainly piqued. "Did you need something?" she asked awkwardly, directing her attention to the dark-haired man.

Jane covered her face with her hands, partially hoping when she looked again it would all disappear. _Why is this happening to me? _she thought. _Oh yeah, because I screwed up and fell for a student. Good going, Rizzoli. _ As she peeled her hands away, however, Dean was very much still there, with her barely clothed girlfriend still very much in front of him. Karma was certainly quite the bitch.

"Uhm, Maur, would you just give us a minute?" Jane pleaded, looking at Maura with puppy eyes that told her it was best to leave.

"I'll go make some iced tea," Maura said softly, for once taking the less-than-subtle social cue and heading just out of hearing distance.

Once she was sure her girlfriend was gone, Jane turned to look at Dean with anger pouring from her eyes. "What do you want, Dean? You shouldn't be here," she whispered through clenched teeth. Even though she was fairly certain that Maura was respectfully keeping her distance, she didn't want to take any chances in somehow offending the impressionable girl.

"Neither should you," he snapped back. "What is she, twelve?"

"What does it matter?" she bit back. She didn't want to give him anything to let him know the assumption she was sure he had could be correct.

"It matters a lot, Jane. Look, I don't know what this is; maybe you're having some sort of crisis or something. But this is bullshit, Jane. Yesterday you were my fiancé and today you're standing on a porch making out with some kid," Dean fired at her. "You should come home," he added, a little bit softer.

Jane looked visibly shaken that he had seen them on the porch—that he had been watching her like that at all. He reached out a hand towards her cheek, probably to lift her face to meet his eyes, but Jane was quick to slap in away, taking a tentative step back.

"Go home? What, so you can forget I exist a bit more?" Jane countered. He shifted his glance, signaling she'd definitely hit a weak spot. She sighed, leaning against the wall to help ground herself. "I can't believe you've been following me."

He looked at her, and for a moment she could have sworn there was a glimmer of regret in his eyes. Of course, it quickly hardened and he spoke again. "Don't try to turn this around on me, Jane."

"Look, we're both at fault for this messed up… whatever this is!" Jane flailed her arms to exaggerate her point. "But that doesn't mean you have the right to use your FED connections to watch me. I haven't known you for a long time, Dean, even when you were around, and what I do with my life is my business now."

"Last I checked, sleeping with a student wasn't the best business to be in," he replied harshly. Jane, taken aback by his statement, nearly jumped at the word "student." So he knew Maura was one of her students? She really shouldn't have been so surprised.

"Hey, I don't know what exactly you think is going on here, but I haven't slept with anybody," Jane growled. "Not that it's even your business to know. Also, what right do you have to be running checks on the people I'm around?" When he didn't answer right away, Jane just shook her head. "I mean, how else would you have known this is one of my students. Really?"

Dean shuffled his feet, clearly contemplating his next words. "It's my right to run a check when I need to make sure you aren't breaking any laws with a minor."

His words felt like a slap in the face, and Jane was visibly stung by them. "You know, what hurts the most is that you've known me for years, and you actually thought I would do something like that? This isn't like that, Dean." Jane could hear the coldness dripping from her voice, but all she felt inside was hot rage.

"Yeah, well, the woman I knew wouldn't have up and left for some girl," he countered.

Jane took a step forward, nearly getting in his face as she spoke her next words through gritted teeth. "This has _nothing_ to do with why I ended things, and you know it. Now, I think it's best if you leave." Without waiting for a response of any kind from the rigid agent, Jane moved to shut the front door. Unfortunately, a sturdy hand moved out to stop it, and Jane wished she hadn't been neglecting her time at the gym lately.

"I'm pretty sure your boss isn't going to like hearing that his new teacher is getting so close to a student, regardless of her age," Dean said with a shit-eating smirk.

Jane's eyes turned to dark slits as she stared him down like a predator, daring him to say another word. "You wouldn't."

"I don't know, Jane. I see no reason not to; you're clearly violating some rules here that exist for a reason."

"No!" Jane growled. "You know damn well that I'm not the only one who would get hurt by that. You want to hurt me, fine, but leave her out of it." Jane could feel her chest rising and falling quickly with each rushed breath as her heartbeat thumped in her head. She'd known Dean for a long time, and she'd seen what he did to the perpetrators he wanted to take down. It was strange to be on the other end of his rage.

"Goodbye, Jane." Dean turned and left, just getting to the porch steps when he felt Jane's hand grab his shoulder in an attempt to halt him.

"Dean, wait." He turned to face her expectantly. "I'll do whatever you want. I'll quit my job. Just, please, leave Maura out of it," Jane begged, her eyes glistening with tears, a quick turnaround from her desperate anger.

"Why would you do that?" He asked, his tone more curious than cross suddenly.

"Because I love her," Jane blurted before she even had a chance to think of the words, as true as they were.

Gabriel stared at Jane for a hard minute, as if trying to read her face for a breaking point or a clue. Instead, all he found was raw passion burning within her, and it scared him. "You really do, don't you?" he asked, his voice and face simultaneously softening. "You'd really give up your job for that girl?"

Jane nodded, unsure if she had any words left inside her at this point and still a little shell-shocked at her announcement. "Huh, you never would have done that for me," he mused, more to himself than to the curly-haired woman in front of him. He was beginning to realize that there was more to this than it seemed, and Jane's reaction was entirely new to him. She'd never have sacrificed anything as big as her work for him, just as he wouldn't have done the same for her.

"You have one week," he declared sadly.

"What?" Jane asked, confused by his meaning.

"One week to quit. I won't do anything for a week, Jane."

"I'll turn in my notice on Monday," Jane spoke hesitantly, shocked at the sudden turn of events. The scariest part was that she didn't even seem to mind giving up her job, and that had never happened before. How was it that Maura turned her around so completely?

Dean nodded awkwardly, turning to walk towards his car, leaving Jane alone on the front porch. "Thank you," she whispered, and though it could not be heard from such a distance, Jane felt that he'd sensed it anyways.

Unbeknownst to Jane, Maura had returned and heard a great deal of the conversation, against her better moral judgment. She hadn't meant to, but upon hearing herself discussed, the young ears had needed to stay a bit longer out of what she justified as purely anthropological curiosity on human interaction.

When Jane re-entered and closed the front door, she was greeted by the honey blonde standing a few feet away, eyes glistening with unshed tears at what she'd just heard. "You love me?"


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own Rizzoli & Isles, Maura, Jane, or any other characters belonging to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, and TNT respectively.

Author's Note: This is it. I wasn't sure until I got to the end of this chapter that this would be the end, but I think this is a good spot for me to leave off. More than likely, I'll be adding an epilogue. I appologize for taking so long, but I've just begun college and moved into my dorm, so things have been very hectic- another reason why I want to put this story to rest now. _Freudian Wedding_ will be regularly continued, and I'm considering another story based on this foreign film I recently watched called _Patrik, Age 1.5._ So look out for that possibly.

Thank you all so very much for sticking with this story through all of my ups and downs with it. It truly means the world to me.

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><p>"<em>You love me?"<em>

Jane looked at Maura, standing there, appearing so exposed—and not just because of her revealing bikini. She didn't know how much of the conversation had been overheard, but she figured she at least owed Maura an answer of some sort—if there was one. She had said she loved Maura, hadn't she? When had that happened?

The more Jane thought about it, the more she realized just how clear it was. Dean was right, she never would have done those things for him, but when it came between her job and Maura, the decision hadn't even taken a fraction of a second of her consideration. Jane had sacrificed her fiancé, some of her morals, and soon even her job—yet, none of it seemed to bother her in the least when it got her closer to Maura. There really could be no other explanation than love.

It was a strange sensation that overtook Jane whenever she thought about Maura. Their relationship wasn't perfect, it was practically a solid secret even, but somehow they always ended up in their own little euphoric bubble.

Jane stepped forward, taking Maura's hands inside her own as she looked her in the tear-filled eyes. "Maura, I guess I just never bothered to think about it but… I'm giving up a lot for you," Jane began. Maura's face immediately fell, and the brunette realized the implication of her words.

"Hey, I didn't say you weren't worth it," Jane amended softly. "What I meant was, I've given up a lot, and I never do that for another person. We haven't even known each other that long, but I'm so drawn to you, Maura. With Dean, it was different. We still had our own lives apart from each other, and if he had ever asked me to give up my job, I would have left him in a heartbeat. But you… you didn't even have to ask. I don't know how much of that you heard, but on Monday I have every intention of walking into that office and telling Principal Korsak that I can no longer work there. Because, Maura, for whatever reason, going against every moral I used to believe in, I can't help myself around you.

"When I'm with you, nothing else matters. And I know that sounds cheesy, but I can't think of any less cliché way to put it. So yes, Maur, I love you. I think that one day, if you'll let me, I could be deeply _in_ love with you, too," Jane finished, only to be punctuated with a deep kiss from Maura's velvety soft lips.

"I love you too, Jane Rizzoli," Maura beamed, wracking her brain for signs that this was much more than just some dream, created by her mind as a way to simply trick her as some sort of cruel joke.

Jane cupped Maura's bright face in her rough hand and sighed, feeling completely content with at least one aspect of her life. Maura, however, seemed intent on not letting things go that quickly, which she made known by stepping back and looking Jane in the eye.

"But, Jane, I cannot allow you to give up your job for me. There has to be some other way," Maura insisted, looking up at the taller woman stubbornly.

Jane chuckled, knowing she should have figured Maura wouldn't just let that go. "Maur, I'll be fine. It's not like this is the only high school in the area. Besides, teaching really isn't all I thought it was cracked up to be," Jane confessed.

"It's not?" Maura tilted her head in confusion. "But, Jane, you only just started this year."

"I know, but do you honestly think becoming a gym teacher was my dream job, Maura?" Jane asked, her voice betraying her amusement at the conversation. When Maura simply stared back with furrowed brows, Jane sighed. "I got caught up in the need for a 'safe and sensible' career, as my Ma put it, come graduation time. I thought I was doing the right thing, but if I can't even go one year without crossing one of the biggest lines they've set for me, then clearly my heart can't be in this all that much."

"What else would you do?" Maura asked uneasily.

"I don't know yet, Maura. I mean, I may be older than you, but not really by much. I have plenty of time, and now I'm ready to say 'screw it all,' after all, I already have to be with you," Jane confessed.

Maura smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, leaning in to Jane. She wanted to protest Jane's decision more. It seemed too sudden for her to just give up on her career, especially with no prior indications that she was unhappy. Maura had the feeling that Jane was acting more confident with her dismissal of it than she actually was. It seemed, to Maura, that Jane was only saying those things to keep her from feeling guilty. The problem was, she did feel guilty, despite what Jane tried to blow off as nothing.

Maura had never thought of herself as selfish until this moment. All this time she had been pursuing Jane, pushing back the consequences. It was very un-like her to do such a thing, and she finally felt enough pull to do something about it.

"I'm sorry, Jane," Maura whispered, taking a step back.

"Sorry?" Jane asked, completely shocked by the turn on tone. "For what?"

"If I hadn't pursued you, none of this would have happened. You would have been able to keep your job, and Dean would have still been your fiancé." The tone of Maura's words nearly broke Jane with their honestly.

"Maura." Jane stepped forward and placed both hands on the younger girl's shoulders, making sure to capture her full attention. "Don't you dare blame yourself for this. If anyone is to blame, it should be me. I'm your teacher, and I should have known better." She sighed before continuing, "The truth is, we are both perfectly capable of making decisions, and we _both_ chose to let this happen. You're worth all this and more, to me, and I can't wait to be able to show you off as mine. Maybe… maybe Dean's ultimatum was really a blessing for us. When I terminate my employment, there will be no reason we can't be openly together, right?"

Jane's voice was almost desperate, as if she was additionally trying to convince herself of the words she spoke, but Maura clung to the bit of hope she could find woven in. There truly was no backing out, and blame would never be their friend, so why couldn't they try and view the happenings in a positive light?

"Right." Maura grinned, looking back to Jane's face. "That will be nice," she admitted.

"Of course it will," Jane said tenderly. "My brothers will adore you, Maur. And Ma, well… she'll love you once she gets over the initial shock that you're quite the opposite of Dean." She chuckled.

"Do you really think so?" Maura asked, her eyes lighting up at the thought of Jane's family accepting her in such a way.

"Oh yes, in fact, I can almost guarantee you'll be so smothered by them that you will be begging me not to make you go to another gnocci night." The brunette smirked playfully, still holding Maura loosely in her arms.

"That sounds wonderful," Maura beamed.

"What are you, a masochist?" Jane joked, only noting the slightly crestfallen look that overtook Maura's face a moment too late. "No, it is wonderful, Maur. You'll be a Rizzoli in no time," she added softly.

Maura smiled, reaching up to kiss Jane tenderly. "My mother will love you as well. She likes women that tend towards social deviance."

"Deviance? What, am I going to be robbing banks now?"

Maura giggled lightly. "You know what I meant. You don't care what other people think about you."

"Oh, I see," Jane added knowingly. "Well in that case, I guess I shouldn't care if people think it is wrong for me to do this," Jane leaned in and grabbed Maura's lips between her own, raking her teeth gingerly along Maura's bottom lip before pulling back fiercely, "while I am still technically your teacher, should I?"

Maura smiled teasingly, looping her arms around Jane's neck. "I would say that fits into the realm of your deviance quite well."

Jane moved closer, her breath just centimeters from Maura's delicate skin and collarbone. "I hope I don't corrupt a good girl like you," Jane breathed. Her lips connected with the porcelain tissue, creating a succulent sensation all across the honey blonde's skin.

"Good girl?" Maura asked weakly, her tone clearly distracted by the ministrations coming from Jane's tongue assaulting her weakest upper spot.

"Mhmm," Jane moaned, her tongue still moving along the clavicle. "You are the teacher's pet, after all."

"Then I guess I better work harder to please my teacher," Maura spoke saucily. If Jane hadn't been so aroused already, her eyes may have bugged out of her head at the suggestion. As Maura extended a gentle hand for Jane to grasp, she knew this was it. They were about to succumb to every emotion that had plagued them from the day they'd met, and it couldn't have felt any more right.

Without hesitation, Jane took Maura's offered hand in her own and allowed herself to be led upstairs; all thoughts of an afternoon swim in the pool were suddenly forgotten.


End file.
